


Drop a Stone 2020 version After returning to the future.

by Smoke_Bramandin



Series: Drop a Stone [4]
Category: Legacy of Kain
Genre: Fix-It of Sorts, Future Fic, Gen, Multi, Other, Post-Canon Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:47:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 36
Words: 37,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23161174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smoke_Bramandin/pseuds/Smoke_Bramandin
Summary: Kain returns to the remains of his empire to set things right.
Series: Drop a Stone [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1605454
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

When Kain had started sending refugees forward in time, he had not anticipated wanting solitude. As much as he wished to shirk his duties now, he had to bring order to the chaos.

Ironically enough, the skills Hardegin retained from his time as a Sarafan made him an ideal second in command. One of those skills was a parade-ground voice and he was easy to locate as he shouted orders.

Hardegin noted Kain approaching him. “Most of the Razielim wandered off because they didn’t believe me when I told them you put me in charge, and we’ve already been attacked by feral vampires, but I think things are going well.”

Kain frowned at the impaled bodies that had been carelessly kicked down the embankment. “If any more come, treat them gently. The sight of their fallen kin will not deter them.”

Hardegin nodded and gave Sarah an odd glance, but decided not to comment. “The vempari were a surprise. Luckily none of them met Ozker before and he managed to convince them that Chixiksi was a defector to the vampire side.”

“I had no knowledge of the vempari,” Kain said. “Were they cursed?”

“I didn’t ask,” Hardegin said. “I have them scouting the road ahead.”

“You seem to have things well in hand. Move the refugees to Raziel’s keep. If his clan decided to take it already, show them this.” Kain set Sarah on the ground so he could unclasp his cloak and tie it like a sash across Hardegin’s body. “If they still resist, impale them and I will deal with the problem later.”

As the refugees left, Kain considered the impaled vampires. Feral was an accurate enough description given the average degradation of their minds, but many retained the ability to recognize Kain and even follow his commands. Perhaps he could even heal their corruption and bring back their rationality.

Kain chose a Dumahim with heavily scarred armor. There was a chance that it would be simply too far gone to act like anything more than a beast. Kain decided that if that was the case, then he would see if feeding the Reaver would improve Raziel’s state of mind.

Kain removed the fragment of spear from its chest, and the Dumahim leapt to its feet. It growled menacingly, then blinked in confusion and knelt.

Kain acknowledged its submission. “Go and find any others that still have their minds. Gather them in the courtyard outside of the Sanctuary of the Clans.”

The Dumahim saluted and trudged away.

Kain revived five more vampires before he found one that dared to try and attack him. He gave the Soul Reaver a push of magic, telling it to feed. It screamed, but it resisted following Kain’s will. The wounded vampire tried to attack again, and Kain slashed at it, each time willing the Soul Reaver to take its soul. Fearing that he was somehow harming Raziel, Kain shoved the broken spear back between the vampire’s ribs.

Kain went back to where he left Sarah, and noticed that her cheeks were again streaked with tears. He shook her gently. “Tell me what happened.”

“I tried to convince him to just let it happen, but he’s being stubborn,” Sarah said. “He’s afraid of losing his will. He’s still fighting it.”

“When you speak with him again, tell him that I do not have time to coddle him,” Kain said. “And stop crying. I thought you were stronger than that.”

Sarah punched him in the shoulder. “Crying is not weakness. You’re just afraid that someone might think you give a damn.”

Kain frowned. Though Sarah had punched him with considerable strength, it had not been hard enough to hurt more than his pride. Very few beings could strike such a blow to him without regretting it. “Get up. If I still have your loyalty, I will need a confidant as I plan.”

Kain transformed into a wolf. Sarah realized that he wanted to move quickly. Since she lacked the ability to transform into anything, she got onto his back. Soon they were at the Sanctuary of the Clans.

“The Pillars will not restore themselves,” Kain said. “I must find individuals who have an affinity for each Pillar.”

“Makes sense,” Sarah said as she took in the surroundings. Playstation graphics did not do justice to the magnificence that the building retained even through centuries of neglect.

“Furthermore, since these new Guardians will not be chosen from birth, I can ensure that they have the best interests of Nosgoth above their own.” Kain pointed to the stump of the leftmost Pillar. “Touch it.”

“I still don’t want the job,” Sarah said.

“Which makes you an ideal candidate,” Kain said. “Your first thought when this was hypothetical was the responsibility.”

“Fine, I’ll touch it,” Sarah said. “I’m pretty sure my brain is broken and I’m going to get rejected anyway.”

She strode forward and slowed as she approached the Pillar. She had never been this close. Hesitantly, she placed her hand against the stone and was surprised to find that it was warm. “What is it supposed to feel like?”

“Does it feel cold?” Kain asked.

Sarah took her hand away. “No. It feels like it’s been in the sun.” She turned to see Kain smiling. “You tricked me, didn’t you?”

“It would feel cold to someone who couldn’t restore it,” Kain said.

“Are all Guardians equal?” Sarah asked.

“You would be my equal, yes,” Kain said.

“Then stop pulling that sort of dishonest crap on me or I’ll give you a reason to find someone else,” Sarah said.

Kain frowned. “What sort of reason?”

“You’ve been crazy all of your life,” Sarah said. “There must be something unpleasant that you can learn to cope with.”

“You wouldn’t,” Kain said.

“You started it. Really we should probably make sure that you’re the only one in the Circle that enjoys power games so there isn’t infighting.” Sarah turned back toward the Pillars. “Actually, do you still belong to yours?”

“Of course,” Kain said. He then began to doubt. Without another word, he leapt onto his throne to touch the Pillar of Balance. It hummed with power under his claws. “Yes.” He turned and slipped on the lacquered surface, landing on the seat hard. “This will have to be removed.”

“Speaking of removing things.” Sarah dropped to the dais and put her ear to the ground. “I just remembered. There’s a squid pool down there.”

“Remember who made the Pillars,” Kain said. “Of course they would choose such a place.”


	2. Chapter 2

Kain and Sarah arrived at Raziel’s keep. It was a bustle of activity with refugees clearing debris and other activities to make the stronghold habitable again. There were even some Dumahim helping with the efforts. Kain recognized the Razielim that he had saved, and most of them were present though they gazed at him with hatred.

Hardegin was in the main hall. He had draped Kain’s banner over Raziel’s throne, but was standing to one side of it. When he saw Kain he said, “Things are going well. Finneas is better at the domestic stuff so I had him handle the details. A few of the Razielim are sulking, but they chose the brood chamber over being locked in a pantry.”

“You make a fine leader. It is a shame that I had to push you into it.” Kain gazed at his cloak and felt a pang of guilt over claiming Raziel’s territory so completely, but it was too useful to turn into a shrine. Kain decided that the stronghold should still be called Raziel’s keep for as long as it stood.

“Your orders were easy enough to follow. I don’t know what I would have done if I was faced with a problem that couldn’t be solved by killing it,” Hardegin said.

“You already solved one problem by delegating,” Kain said. “I have a speech to give once people have settled in. You may disturb me before then if there is something that you truly cannot handle. Oh, and next time you see a vempari, send them to me. I’m sure that they have a message about why they were sent here.”

Raziel’s private apartment was a tower in the middle of the keep. The ground floor had once been a comfortable sitting room, but all of the fine furniture had long crumbled to dust. No one had come to sweep it yet. The bedroom was on the second floor, with only tiny windows for ventilation. The top floor was more window than wall.

Kain leaned against the window ledge. “Raziel always preferred open spaces. Even when he was vulnerable to sunlight, he hated being underground.”

“He told me that when he was showing me around,” Sarah said.

A crow landed on the ledge. It set down the bone it was carrying in its beak and cawed at Kain.

“Odd how they still remember after all of this time.” Kain took the bone and broke it into pieces. The crow then picked at the now-accessible marrow. “Enough reminiscing. There are at least three problems that we must deal with. The Pillars must be restored, the squid must be destroyed, and there is the matter of the Hylden.”

Sarah produced a pen and notebook to begin taking notes. “What priority are the Hylden?”

“I would rather that they were the least of our concern, but they may decide to force our hand,” Kain said.

There was a knock at the door to the tower. Kain frowned as he looked down, and then he leapt out the window.

A few humans had come to the future with the refugees, including families with children. Kain hadn’t bothered to even learn their names.

“My name is Archimedes,” the boy said. “It’s important that I speak with you. May I come inside?”

“I don’t have the time to deal with every minor problem,” Kain said. “Ask Finneas or Hardegin.”

The boy held out an hourglass. “I’m afraid that this is not a minor problem, and you do not have the time to dismiss me.”

Kain took the hourglass and gasped as he realized what it really was. “Where did you get this?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Archimedes asked. “I wasn’t supposed to bring it with me, but I cannot bear to be away from it.” He snatched it back from Kain as soon as it was offered.

Kain opened the door to the tower and gestured for Archimedes to go inside. “Strange that the next Time Guardian would be so young, and a human.”

“I was born to it,” Archimedes said. “Someone who wasn’t could never truly adapt to governing the magic of the Time Pillar.”

“As much as I love a puzzle, I would prefer it if you could explain exactly what I need to do,” Kain said.

“I can’t because you don’t trust me.” Archimedes reached the top of the stairs. “Howdy, Sarah, name’s Archie. Could you take a peek into my noggin?”

Sarah frowned as she concentrated, then flinched. “Wow, that’s more disturbing than you trying to sound like you’re from Earth.” She followed as Archimedes turned back down the stairs to the ruin of the bedroom. She then pulled the supplies for a new murder board out of her pocket dimension.

Kain stumbled as he got out of their way. “Do you trust him?”

“Don’t need to,” Sarah began writing. “Whoever restores the Pillar of Time will go mad unless we can somehow find someone who doesn’t think linearly.”

“Would that madness be a danger to the rest of the Circle?” Kain asked.

“What Nupraptor did was deliberate,” Archimedes said. “If he had simply gone mad from grief, the rest of the Circle would not have been affected.”

“So we can simply find someone to restore the Pillar and then kill him so that you are born to assume the Guardianship,” Kain said.

“How long do you think it will take to find a suitable candidate?” Archimedes asked.

Kain frowned. “Why don’t you just tell me?”

“Finding the first one will take about an hour,” Archimedes said. “As for finding a more palatable option, that will take too long. Even the original Time Guardian was groomed by the parasite from birth to assume the role.”

A moment passed as Sarah and Kain both considered the information. Then Sarah telepathically whispered to Archimedes. “You’re talking about Moebius, aren’t you.”

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find some facilities while you think it over,” Archimedes said. “Even though I knew what that taco would do to me, I simply couldn’t resist trying one.”

“You’re a poor liar.” Kain was intrigued by that. “What is the real reason you suddenly want to leave?”

Archimedes saw that he couldn’t simply run past Kain to escape. “Sarah keeps saying that surprises are good for me, but I hate them. I hate it that I cannot see what she’ll do or say before she does, and since she’s already figured it out, I’m afraid that she’ll simply blurt it out at any moment.”

“Let him go, Kain,” Sarah said.

When Kain simply frowned, Sarah grabbed Archimedes and shoved Kain out of the way. “You’re not going to like it.”

Outside, Archimedes straightened his tunic and said, “Well done on not saying something that would send him into a rage. His temper will become less volatile over the years. Thanks to your hint…” He held up one hand and folded his fingers down individually. “It will be safe to go back up there in three minutes.”

Sarah rocked on her heels. “So, what’s your favorite topic for small talk?”

“I usually don’t bother,” Archimedes said. “Having conversations is for the other person’s benefit, and even if they try to ask me how my day is going, I might as well cut to the chase because I know what they are after.”

“Okay, trying to imagine what that’s like,” Sarah said.

“Don’t bother. I told you in great detail later,” Archimedes said. “I also know that I’m annoying, but it’s not worth the energy it takes to be charismatic.”

“Did I ever tell you that I was annoying as a kid?” Sarah asked.

“Yes. You at least understand that putting on a show can be a wasted effort,” Archimedes said. “I make even less of an effort when talking to you, even though it’s not your fault that you constantly surprise me.”

“When we go back up there, do you want me to raise my hand and wait for your permission before saying anything?” Sarah asked.

Archimedes paused in thought, something he only had to do when he was around Sarah. “I can manage as long as you put some effort into being predictable. I have been practicing.”


	3. Chapter 3

Sarah hesitantly entered the room again and was surprised that nothing was broken or thrown. “Ready for us?”

“You honestly want me to let Moebius reconnect to his Pillar?” Kain asked. “There must be another way.”

“If there was another way, you would have heard about it before sending me back here,” Archimedes said. “Technically you could use any other Timestreamer, save for myself, that was dead and revived after being severed from their Pillar, but none of us would be as cooperative as Moebius if you chose that path.”

“Cooperative‽” 

“Relatively so,” Archimedes said. “As for myself, it isn’t that I might not eventually be willing to retire. I promise to explain why it can’t be me when we both have a free decade."

“Do you believe him?” Kain asked Sarah.

“I can just show you.” Archimedes held out his hand.

Sarah set down her pen and grasped Archimedes’ hand for a moment. She then was overcome with vertigo and almost didn’t make it to the floor before she would have had no choice about ending up there. She gathered her strength and yelled “I don’t like this!”

Her voice had been softer than that of a dying kitten. Kain growled as he realized that she was unconscious.

“She’ll be fine when she wakes up, which won’t be for a while,” Archimedes said. “Don’t worry about Moebius. He’ll be begging for death once we’re done with him. He won’t cause any trouble.”

“I did not recognize her, but it was Sarah who promised that Moebius would answer for his crimes, wasn’t it?” Kain asked.

“Who else could we send?” Archimedes asked. 

“Do I ever grow to trust you?” Kain asked.

“If I told you that, would you ever have a choice about it?” Archimedes asked. “You’ve loosened the strings of fate that bind you, and everyone you encounter gains a little bit of that same freedom. You will ask me about who you chose to be the other Guardians, but I don’t know if it was meant to be your next question or if you will seek information about the squid instead.”

“Who do I choose to be the next Guardians?” Kain asked.

Archimedes took a piece of paper and dipped the pen. “Who were you considering?”

“Why don’t you just answer?” Kain asked. “You must know.”

Archimedes set down the pen. “Ozker and Chixiksi are both suitable for both Dimension and States, but because they are in love, one of them will have to refuse the Guardianship. That’s four possibilities and even if I tell you who my fellow Guardian is, you are still free to decide otherwise.”

Kain scoffed. “A Hylden bound to the Pillar of Dimension?”

“It’s the weakest possibility,” Archimedes admitted. “Remember also that Ozker is just biologically a vempari.”

“I do trust Chixiksi more than I trust Ozker, oddly enough,” Kain said. “Speaking of vempari, are any of them suitable candidates?”

“You could test them, but you don’t have time to determine which ones will recant the squid,” Archimedes said. “You told me that you simply wanted that group to repopulate their species.”

“This is an interesting game,” Kain said. “Instead of telling me directly, you are guiding me into the decisions that you know I already made.”

“Thanks to Sarah, I could return to my own time to find Ozker sitting in the chair next to mine,” Archimedes said. “They’re usually joined at the hip anyway so they really are interchangeable… except that Chixiksi is usually the pitcher if you know what I mean.”

Kain did not quite get the reference, but he was able to work out the meaning. He frowned.

“My body might not have gone through puberty yet, but I have the memories of a dirty old man,” Archimedes explained. “You’ll get used to it.”

“What about your humanity?” Kain asked.

“It really doesn’t matter, and I haven’t decided what I’m going to do,” Archimedes said. 

“Doesn’t matter?” Kain asked.

“Well technically it does a little, but it’s cultural instead of biological,” Archimedes said. “My Guardianship grants me a much longer life than even a mortal vempari, and I was raised by the other Guardians. There is no divine spark that makes one species superior to any other, it’s just that most humans don’t have the lifespan to learn what’s really important.”

“There are advantages to being turned beyond simple life span,” Kain said. “We are more resilient, both physically and mentally.”

“Stronger, faster, heal quicker… I still have time to decide what other gifts I want to try and inherit, and if they’re worth the downside,” Archimedes said. “Since you’re not going to ask about Sarah, I do have something to say about that choice. Do you think that it is wise for her to be the Mind Guardian when you have feelings for her?”

“You must be joking, and it is in poor taste,” Kain said. “I trust her, that is all. She also cannot stand me, and her heart belongs to Raziel.”

“Feelings can change, and simple friendship doesn’t result in the pitter-patter of little talons,” Archimedes said. “But as long as she remains part Razielim, it would be simple to sever her connection to the Mind Pillar.”

“You complained about how she surprises you. Perhaps the children you see are simply an arrangement. If she chooses to be cured, she would be a worthy mother if I desire an heir.”

“It is hard for me to see beyond so many choices,” Archimedes said. “The children might not even happen.”

Sarah groaned and changed position. “Archie, make me ask for it before you do that again.”

Kain asked, “Was he telling the truth about Moebius?”

“It’s hard to hold on to, but I think it’s the best option.” Sarah sat up and clutched her head. “We’d really have to shred the timeline unless you literally want everything to start happening at once… or spend thousands of years waiting for a Timestreamer that doesn’t mind being used as a means to an end.”

Kain nodded. “Archimedes, you mentioned that we didn’t have much time. How long do we have?”

“It needs to be done before Sarah enters the state of change,” Archimedes said. “Otherwise the imprisoned Hylden will force you to choose another to take her place.”

“I don’t feel it coming on,” Sarah said.

“You have a little grace period,” Archimedes said. “We’ll bring you Moebius when it is time.”

“I do not want to rush my decision,” Kain said. “I trust you enough to tell me the truth about who the other Guardians will be.”

“If you insist,” Archimedes said. “Sarah, Keturah, Hardegin, Finneas, Kain, Bavol, Moebius, Chixiksi, Lorica.

“I don’t know who Keturah is,” Kain said.

“Is she the vempari that we used to test the non-contagious form of the curse?” Sarah asked.

Archimedes nodded. 

“I can’t vouch for her,” Sarah said. “I only met her for a few minutes and she seemed like a squid worshipper. But if you want someone who is passionate about the Hylden not being able to breach their prison, you couldn’t ask for better than a vempari that nearly died while fighting them.”


	4. Chapter 4

Sarah set the Stahlburg timestreaming device. Ozker had told her long ago that someday she would go back in time and bring Janos and Keturah forward. 

Ozker had also accompanied her to help carry Keturah. “I have a message for myself.”

“That’s usually a bad idea,” Sarah said.

“Kain will be angry if you and Chixiksi start making babies before the Pillars are restored,” Ozker said.

“Okay, I have questions, but I don’t think that will damage the timeline at all,” Sarah said.

Sarah emerged from the timestream, and her heart leapt at seeing her sire again after so long. “I travelled from the future. I’m here to invite Janos and Keturah to a time after the Pillars have been restored.”

“Only them?” Osker asked.

“You and Chixiksi can take the slow path,” Sarah said. “Janos, if you want to say goodbye, keep her outside until we leave. I don’t want to know what happens if I meet myself.”

Janos nodded and strode out of the chamber.

“I can’t give you much news about the future, but most of it’s surprisingly boring,” Sarah told the Ozker that belonged in this time. “Kain will be angry if you and Chixiksi start making babies before the Pillars are restored.”

Ozker blushed, and then he practically turned purple when Keturah said, “You and that Hylden? But he’s also male.”

“I’m sure that Sarah can explain what miracles are capable with Hylden technology,” Ozker stammered.

“You’re waiting for us on the other side and you’re not getting out of explaining,” Sarah said.

Once Janos, Keturah, and Sarah arrived in the future, Sarah said, “I apologize for the fib, but the Pillars aren’t yet restored. It was easier for me to lie to Ozker for a moment than for him to lie to me for centuries.”

“But the Hylden,” Janos said.

“We managed to disrupt their plans, so it’s safe to let vempari wander around,” Sarah said.

“Let’s get Keturah to Raziel’s keep,” Ozker said.

For the second time that day, Kain was disturbed by a child. This time, it was a vempari and he looked like an equivalent to twelve in human years.

“Were there any adults with you?” Kain asked him.

“Just one, but he’s dying.” The boy held up an envelope with the symbol of the Reaver drawn on it.

Kain took it and read. ‘Kain, the man with these children is my father. The Time Guardian sent me back with instructions on how to take his place without damaging the timeline. Eventually I will find more vempari that History will not miss and send them to you as well. I should be arriving shortly after you receive this letter. Please send me to see my father before anything else. -Janos.’

Kain frowned. “He made no mention of what I’m supposed to do with you.”

“Hardegin has us keeping watch on the walls,” the boy said.

“Then I shall not keep you here any longer,” Kain said. “Send Hardegin to me and return to your post.”

Kain whispered to Sarah, “Have you returned with Janos?”

“Yes, we’re dropping Keturah off in the infirmary now.”

“Apparently his father is in this time and dying,” Kain said. “Please let him know.”

Sarah had been watching as Ozker and Janos set Keturah down on a cot. 

Chixiksi said, “If you hold still, I’ll get that leg mended enough that you can put some weight on it.”

“Do not touch me with your foul magic,” Keturah said.

Janos held Keturah’s talon. “You have the right to refuse, but he has taken the healer’s oath.”

Chixiksi sighed in irritation. “I should feel lucky that the other vempari was unconscious. He would be dead by now if I had to fight him about treatment. His lungs had been burned by a poison we used during the war and he couldn’t handle the smog. I think he’ll live, but I could use a second opinion.”

“Could that be Janos’ father?” Sarah asked.

“He had a similar face,” Chixiksi said.

Janos rushed through the doorway that Chixiksi indicated.

Ozker told Keturah, “I know how to use the bone mender if you prefer a vempari.”

“Whichever one of you is most skilled. If Janos isn’t bothered by what you intend to do, then it can’t be worse than making myself useless for longer than necessary,” Keturah said. “But you have to explain what you meant by making babies.”

“I thought that you weren’t going to tell anyone about our plans to start a family,” Chixiksi said to Ozker.

“It was a looped message and I didn’t think of just writing it down,” Ozker said.

Chixiksi brought out the bone mender. It was an unwieldy device that needed an external power supply. Fortunately he had saved a generator when he destroyed the city. 

Ozker said, “There are many things the Hylden could do that seemed unnatural to us, but for someone who understands that if you go deep enough, only the impossible truly goes against nature.”

“Even then, there are some things that we felt should not be done even after we learned how to do them,” Chixiksi said.

“Such as?” Keturah asked.

“I’ll save the horror stories for after we’re done here,” Chixiksi said.

“What does this have to do with making babies?” Keturah asked.

“You know how birds lay eggs?” Ozker asked. “If you prevent anything from going wrong, you can have a bird from an egg that was opened on the day it was laid. It turns out that Chixiksi can do that with anything that is born.”

Keturah frowned. “But you are still both male.”

“That adds an extra step, but it is simple enough,” Chixiksi said.

“Okay, I should have expected that it would be the boring explanation,” Sarah said. “For a minute I thought you two had figured out how to do it the old fashioned way.”

“A perfect example of how just because we can doesn’t mean we should.” Chixiksi brought the bone-mender over to Keturah’s wing and frowned at the screen. “You will probably be grounded for a while, but I might cause further damage if I try to mend your wing.”

Ozker brought a crutch to the side of the bed. “Your leg will probably hurt if you try to put your full weight on it, so lean on this.”

“Thank you.” Keturah accepted the crutch and stood. “When I asked you to explain in the past, you were blushing. Now I understand that it is because you two are in love. Is he the reason for your heresy?”

Ozker shook his head. “It was my heresy that brought me to him.”


	5. Chapter 5

Kain frowned as Haregin entered the room. “You have done something I disapprove of and I expect you to explain yourself. Those vempari were children and you used them like soldiers.”

“Scouts,” Hardegin corrected. “I admit that I assumed that Nasser was Janos, but he said they could handle it. They were born during a war and are just as capable as children raised by the Sarafan. I’m making sure to keep them out of danger and mischief.”

Kain wondered if his own coddled childhood had given him a distorted idea of what children were actually capable of. He had heard that peasant children were put to work as soon as they could follow instructions, but he hadn’t believed it.

“I shall allow you to follow your own judgement on this matter, then,” Kain said. “There is something else. To restore the Pillars, I need to find individuals who possess an affinity for their principals. I think that you would make a fine Guardian of Conflict.”

Hardegin’s eyes widened, which was the most emotion Kain had ever seen from him. “I’ve met Malek and being a Sarafan was the only thing I ever had in common with him.”

“Perfect,” Kain said. “Malek failed in his duties and I would not want someone who was like him.”

Hardegin’s cheek twitched in his version of a chuckle. “If the Pillar will have me, then I will accept this burden.”

Kain had similar conversations with the rest of the future Guardians. Since there are two that haven’t been introduced yet, I’ll give a brief introduction now. 

Lorica was a Razielim that had briefly served Kain as a paramour back in the days of the empire… until he learned that she had great potential as an assassin. Since she had answered to him, it was easy enough to order her into the timestreaming chamber. Kain almost expected her to put a knife in his back over what happened to her sire, but so far she seemed loyal.

Bavol was also one of Kain’s servants. The Turelim had guarded Kain’s home since the days of the Empire, though not without making himself comfortable in Kain’s absence. Bavol had acted like a lazy old hound, napping on a rug in front of the fire and even coming on all fours the moment Kain returned.

Kain doubted that Bavol would be suitable. “I have a task for you that is far more exciting than guarding my home.”

Bavol’s ears perked and he stumbled as he tried to stand upright. Turelim were typically ungainly when trying to walk on two legs, especially those that didn’t practice. “Your will is my command.”

“I want you to make your way to the Sanctuary of the Clans and wait for me.”

“Immediately?” Bavol asked.

Kain nodded and Bavol galloped out the door.

Those two necromantic vampires were almost thrown back by the Pillars. Kain realized that they still carried the corruption that they inherited from him, and it was a simple matter to purify them. 

It wouldn’t be until much later that Kain learned why Bavol was a suitable choice. Other than someone born to serve the Pillar, only a necromantic vampire of considerable age could survive bonding with the Pillar of Energy. Bavol would still have to die and let a proper Guardian be born, but that was the other advantage of a necromantic vampire. He didn’t have to remain dead for long to sever his connection to the Pillar.

It was two days after Archimedes visited Kain. All of the new Guardians except for one were gathered at the base of the Pillars. Kain had explained to them what they needed to do, and the first step was to feel the connection to their Pillar.

Sarah walked up to Kain. “I’m beginning to feel like I’ll go into the state of change soon and I think it will be a rough one.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Kain said. “The Timestreamer should be here shortly.”

Moebius was led into the room by four vampires. He wore a simple tunic and breeches and was heavily shackled. His head was bowed, and he walked as if he was being led to a gallows. Kain met them halfway into the room and the four vampires nodded before departing.

Kain unlocked the shackles. “If you are going to try anything, I doubt that these would stop you.”

“No more games. I know that I deserve death,” Moebius said. “This final act will not redeem me, but perhaps in the next life...”

“Pathetic.” Kain could not bring himself to pity Moebius, but he could see that he had been broken. Almost gently, Kain guided Moebius to his ruined Pillar.

Kain regretted that there hadn’t been time to tear out his throne, but he had spilled enough blood on the seat to give himself some traction this time. He took a breath and placed his talon on the Pillar of Balance. Power surged through him, and he felt the other eight Pillars respond. Light blazed up from the stumps, and the Pillars solidified.

Each new Guardian stepped away from their Pillars, holding the token that bound them to their duty.

Moebius sighed sadly as he set his hourglass at the base of his Pillar and slowly walked to the center of the dais. “I’m sorry. I have no excuse for what I’ve done. If you have any sense of mercy, you will not draw this out.”

Kain carefully hopped down from his throne and drew the Soul Reaver. “It is not quite up to me.” He impaled Moebius, and the Reaver took its first soul.

The rest of the Circle had already been warned what would happen, but it was still chilling to see one of their own die before them.

“What do we do now?” Hardegin asked.

Kain said, “There are matters which I request your attention for, but I suggest that first you adjust to your new status.”

Sarah stumbled against the wall as she made her way deep into Raziel’s keep. One of the first areas to be cleaned were the pupation chambers, and some of them had cots so they could be used by non-necromantic vampires. This was her first state of change since learning that she was a hybrid, and she wasn’t sure if dying had made her more like her necromantic brethren. 

Suddenly, Kain scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way to the chamber. “Have you fed?”

“Vimputu,” Sarah said. “I didn’t have time to hunt.”

“This is no time to experiment with vegetarianism.” Kain adjusted her position so she could reach his neck.

Once sated, Sarah began to claw at her clothes. “I’m too hot.”

Kain shamelessly tore her dress off of her and helped her to the cot. He knew about her hybrid status and the differences between the two natures. Being irritated by clothing was an indication that she might pupate.

“Stay with me for a while.” Sarah’s eyes fluttered, but she opened them again. “The Reaver only cooperated because it was Moebius, but he isn’t afraid to feed anymore.”

“Hush,” Kain said. “There will be plenty of time to speak when you emerge.”

Sarah drifted into unconsciousness, and Kain covered her with a light blanket. Perhaps he was wrong and she would never pupate.

What really happened was that it took longer than expected for Sarah’s cocoon to form. When Kain came to check on her again, she was fully encased.


	6. Chapter 6

Hardegin, Lorica, Bavol, and Byram travelled to the Human Citadel. Their purpose was to try and determine if the Guardian of Time was there. 

Byram was a human teenager that was born in the Hylden city. He was to act as a liaison if the leaders of the Citadel refused to speak with the vampires. Hardegin and Lorica were chosen because among the Pillar Guardians, they had the least disturbing appearance. Bavol mostly came along because he was desperate for company, but he was also a deterrent to feral vampires deciding to attack. Also by letting Byram use him as a horse, they were able to travel much faster.

Bavol hung back as the others approached the city. Still far from the gate, they encountered a guard. Neither Hardegin or Lorica had seen a flamethrower before, and had no idea how to fight against someone wielding one. They tried to flank him, but they couldn’t get close as he swung the nozzle wildly. Bavol had been watching, and he hit the human with a light telekinetic burst. Lorica was then able to disarm him.

Hardegin was not embarrassed that he wasn’t the one to take the enemy down. When working in a team, sometimes it was a matter of who got the right opportunity. “Go back to the city and tell your leaders that we want to speak with them.”

The man scrambled to his feet and rushed to the gates. “We’re under attack!”

More guards rappelled down the wall. 

Byram said, “I’ll try to surrender to them.”

Hardegin said, “They might decide to kill you.”

Byram nodded. “I hope they won’t, but it is my honor to serve.” He slowly walked towards the gathered guards. “I’m human. I have a message from the vampires.”

The guards let him walk up to the gate, and water was poured through the murder hole. When they were convinced that he wasn’t a vampire, a small door in the gate opened to let him through.

It was an hour later when Byram was allowed out again, followed by a woman holding a small bundle in her arms. Hardegin and Lorica slowly approached.

“That was easy,” Lorica said.

Hardegin could also sense it from this distance. They had found the Time Guardian. “Take good care of him. He is a Pillar Guardian.”

“What does that mean?” the woman asked.

“We’ll leave Byram here to explain… if you promise that no harm will come to him,” Hardegin said. “We’ll send a messenger in three days to retrieve him.”

Chixiksi had duties that had nothing to do with his Guardianship, but he found that the Pillar had started giving him new ideas. Fortunately Ozker could help him, mostly by writing down his ideas and reminding him about what he had been doing before the idea struck.

Keturah came in. “I forgot about my leg and tried to take a step. Now it hurts.”

Chixiksi brought out the bone mender and gazed at the screen. “It is still healing. I can give you something for the pain if you think you can remember to stay off it.”

“It is tolerable, and hopefully the pain will remind me to be gentle,” Keturah said. “I looked into the dimension where your people were sent. It was horrible.”

“So I’ve heard,” Chixiksi said. “This is why I hope that we can risk eventually letting them out.”

“Do you think that they will submit to the Wheel of Fate?” Keturah asked.

“Would that be a condition of their release?” Chixiksi asked.

Ozker had thought it was good that they were talking, but he decided to intervene. He knew how angry Chixiksi could get if properly provoked, and religion was a sore subject. “Keturah, our god abandoned us when we were cursed with immortality, and even the most faithful were not spared. Do you think that he actually cared about his followers?”

Keturah frowned. “I would not presume to understand his will. Do any of the sacred pools still exist in this time?”

“I would not know.” Ozker’s bare wings shuddered. “But Keturah, please do not seek him out. He has become evil and Kain intends to destroy him.”

Keturah leapt from the cot and yelped as her leg complained.

“Perhaps a mild sedative would help,” Chixiksi said. “Do you trust us to give you one, or would you prefer Janos to bring it to you later?”

Keturah hobbled to the door. “I’ll wait for Janos.”

Janos was sitting with his father. The treatment that Chixiksi had given to Nasser had improved his lung function, but he still had to wear a mask that fed him concentrated oxygen. Janos hated to see his father in such poor condition, but it was better than the alternative.

“I’m told that I was the one who sent you here,” Janos said. “Did I explain anything?”

Nasser shook his head. “You looked as old as I…” he was cut off by a coughing fit.

“Shall I simply start talking?” Janos asked. At his father’s nod, he began. “It is odd, I cannot remember how old I was when the war ended. It was sometime before my fortieth birthday. The Hylden were banished and we thought that we would finally know peace, but then we learned that they had managed to take their revenge. They made us immortal and God fell silent.

“I shall not upset you with the details, but many took their own lives. I almost did as well, but I was still deciding when I was given a purpose. I spent thousands of years guarding the sword that was forged for our prophesied messiah.” Janos took a breath to calm himself. “He was not what I imagined. Neither is the Scion of Balance. They are both heretics. Even though I would not believe them, and I have been cured of my immortality, I am not sure that God will accept me.”

Nasser made the sign of the Wheel. “Have you prayed?”

“I’m afraid,” Janos admitted.

“Go,” Nasser sighed. “Remove your doubt.”


	7. Chapter 7

Finneas had thought himself an odd choice for the Guardian of Nature. He had grown up in a mining town, a profession which was considered an enemy of nature. He had then become a vampire, a creature that could not enjoy the greatest of nature’s bounty.

As he wandered, he realized that nature wasn’t just about sunlight and plants, two things that were sorely lacking in this world. It was about struggle, survival, and how harmony made it seem effortless. Gravity sought to collapse tunnels, and Finneas worked together with his children to preserve their home. That was the essence of nature.

Sarah had criticized Kain’s attempts to blot out the sun, giving Finneas a simplified lesson in something called the food chain. He now realized that she was right, and the furnaces would have to be shut down. For now, Finneas decided to see if he could find some fish to watch.

Finneas settled on the shore of a lake, even though he could not see fish at the moment. He did have another thought as he was looking. Hesitantly, he tried dipping a talon into the water. It took a force of will to keep the water from burning him, but he felt that in time he would learn how to make it effortless, and then learn how to swim. He chuckled at the thought of a swimming vampire.

His thoughts were interrupted as something else disturbed the water. He drew his talon back and gazed at the large shape. It was fishlike, but not as sleek. It breeched the surface briefly only to submerge again. Finneas watched and could make out what seemed to be jewelry on the creature.

An especially thick cloud darkened what little sunlight there was, and the creature leapt out of the water. It was bipedal, and it spat water at Finneas. He dodged. The creature dove back into the water. Intrigued, Finneas went back to the edge to watch it some more. It circled, but it didn’t come up again. Finneas left and decided to ask Kain if he knew about the monster.

Janos flew over the land, but only the Pillars were familiar. He had watched a world change over centuries, but this was far beyond what he expected. None of the sacred pools that he had visited during his life were still apparent. 

He finally settled on the shore of a small lake and said an ancient prayer. He hoped, desperately, that perhaps the Wheel of Fate could hear him. Part of him worried that giving up his original heart and letting the Hylden replace it had somehow tainted him.

“Janos.” 

He fell down to his knees. His God was still here, though the voice was faint.

“Go to the south. I will continue to guide you as you come closer to where I am waiting.”

Janos said a short prayer of gratitude and began flying again.

Kain was also looking for the Wheel of Fate, but to destroy it. He scowled at sets of maps from different ages, trying to transpose places were the parasite had spoken to his followers. Ozker had been more than happy to tell him about every sacred pool that he knew about. The Citadel of the Vampires had sunk into the abyss, the original center was closer to the Pillars, but other pools hinted that the creature’s body spanned the entire continent. How was he supposed to cut it out with only a sword, especially when most of it was underwater?

Kain grasped the hilt of the Soul Reaver, trying to touch Raziel’s mind, but he didn’t have the power. He leaned the sword back against the table and returned to scowling at the maps. It was then that he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Kain turned to see Raziel standing next to him. Rather, it was an apparition. Kain realized that it was how the wraith blade looked when Sarah linked his mind with Raziel’s. “You’re haunting me now, aren’t you?”

It nodded.

Kain knew that this incarnation of Raziel hated being called by name. “Do you know what I am trying to do?”

The apparition strode to the maps and pulled its eyebrows into a frown. Kain looked away, but he felt a jolt as if being pulled to the table. “You can’t see it unless I’m looking at it. Do you know how to kill the squid?”

The apparition made a helpless gesture, and then pointed to the site of his tomb.

“You’ve forgotten,” Kain said. 

It nodded.

Kain sighed. “At least I won’t be talking to myself.”

Janos landed on the shore of another lake. He did not know that it used to be the site of the Sarafan stronghold. 

“You will find a cave on the Southern Shore. Part of it is flooded, but you will not have to swim far,” God said.

Janos obeyed without hesitation. He emerged, dripping, into a cavern lit with glowing crystals.

“You have strayed from me, but I offer a chance for attonement,” God said. “Kain is an enemy, but I know that you are not strong enough to kill him. Only the Reaver has that power.”

“Tell me what I must do,” Janos said.

God said, “Take the children away from the corrupting influences of the cursed. Bring them to me so that they may be blessed as well.”

“What about Keturah?” Janos knew that God could see everything that he knew, and did not explain further.

“She is not yet lost. Bring her as well,” God said.

“Thank you, I will do as you command,” Janos departed the cave.


	8. Chapter 8

Kain still did not know how he would defeat the Squid, which put him in a sour mood when he returned to Raziel’s Keep. 

Lorita, Hardegin, Finneas, Ozker, and Chixiksi were waiting for him.

“Janos took the children,” Lorita said. “They were in the air before any of us realized what he was doing.”

Kain frowned. “Do you know why?”

Ozker scoffed, “I can give a good guess. He never could accept that he was serving a giant squid.”

“What about Keturah?” Kain asked.

“Missing,” Lorita said. “Nasser is still here, but...”

“Nasser has refused any more treatment,” Chixiksi said. “It is unlikely he will regain consciousness.”

Ozker said, “He probably doesn’t know anything and I don’t think it’s worth trying to revive him against his will. Let him go in ignorance to the Wheel.”

“Not worth every attempt to learn if he knows anything?” Kain asked.

“Having morals is not just for when it’s convenient, Kain,” Chixiksi said. “Even if his priorities are misplaced, it is his choice to die.”

Kain frowned, but then nodded. “As for the others, I take responsibility for not purifying their sight when I had the chance. I’ll have the clans start looking for them.”

“Might I suggest purifying the Rahabim so they can see the squid?” Ozker asked.

“Thank you for thinking of that.” Kain realized that he had too many things to focus on. He would have to start delegating more. At least the problem of the Hylden was out of his hands until Keturah was found.

“I wouldn’t have thought of them either if Finneas hadn’t run into one and wondered what it was,” Ozker said.

“Are there any other crises that need to be dealt with?” Kain asked.

Lorita said, “Some of the Razielim are nearing the State of Change, myself included. I took the liberty of adopting Ozker so that he has the authority to help keep us together. Many of the clan do not trust you, and I fear that we may become scattered.”

“I will give the other clans orders to leave any deserters to their own devices. They will be given a chance to atone if they flee,” Kain said. “But tell the Razielim to gather so that I may give them the power to see the squid. I can imagine some deciding to side with the vempari.”

Lorita nodded.

Hardegin said, “They also don’t like the rest of us. The Dumahim do, though. I think we should arrange a plan to move to their fortress in case the Razielim become openly hostile.”

“While I would prefer to keep them under control, that might come with casualties that we cannot afford,” Kain said. “I trust that you can work out the details without me?”

Hardegin nodded. “I’ll try to keep you in the loop, but it seems like we just have to hope we’ll get through the chaos and pick up the pieces later.”

“There is the matter of shutting down the furnaces,” Finneas said. “Even though the sun is bad for fledglings, everything else needs it to thrive.”

Kain nodded. “Take Bavol with you.”

“I would like a sample of that parasite to study, if it’s possible,” Chixiksi said.

“For what purpose?” Kain asked.

“If there is anything that I can learn from it, hopefully it will provide an advantage,” Chixiksi said. “It also reminds me of a story that all of us thought was fictional, but now I have doubts.”

“What is the story?” Kain asked.

“The story was a parable about a scientist creating a monster, losing control of it, and the effort it took to finally destroy it,” Chixiksi said. “It is the reason we decided to make the Mass so easy to kill.”

Kain was aware of how many similar but improbable stories Sarah brought from her world. “I am not ready to confront it, but I shall try to honor your request when I am ready.”

“There is also the Silenced Cathedral,” Ozker said. “How easy would it be to repair?”

“Not quite as simple as the game made it seem, but it is still possible,” Kain said. “The Zephonim are capable of defending it, but that may change. Finneas, when you go to shut down the furnace, tell the Turelim to reinforce the Zephonim.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone tried to think of any more problems. Kain hissed as he thought of one. “Janos said that he would be sending more vempari from the past. I have no idea how many are coming, but they will need to be contained.”

Ozker said, “I can teach others how to ground them without hurting them. Hopefully most of them can be captured, not that it will automatically solve the problem.”

There was only one task that Kain really had to do himself, which was purifying the sight of everyone he could reach. The Rahabim went before the Razielim to prove that the process was not harmful.

It was fortunate that he prioritized the Razielim to be baptized before the Dumahim and Melchiahim that lived in the keep. He had barely done a handful from those clans before he grew dizzy. It was also fortunate that he managed to get to a hallway before collapsing instead of fainting in front of his subjects.

When he came to, Lorita was standing over him. “There are two souls in your body and both of them were low on energy.”

Kain sat up. “I’m sure that the other soul is what’s left of Raziel after his imprisonment in the Soul Reaver.”

“I wouldn’t be able to tell without comparing them,” Lorita said. “It acted like a wraith.”

“Will this happen again?” Kain asked.

“I do not know,” Lorita said. “I need more time to fully understand soul magic, but whatever that other soul is, it took care of the problem.”

The answers would come in time. Raziel’s soul was what fueled the purification process, and when it became weak, it started drawing on Kain’s soul. There was no lasting damage once it figured out that it needed to feed, and that was simple enough because it could project itself into the spectral realm as needed.


	9. Chapter 9

The next few months were surprisingly quiet. No more vempari came from the time-streaming chamber. Lorita and many other Razielim went into the state of change and Sarah hadn’t emerged. Keturah was still absent.

The five active Guardians were close to solving the problem of Keturah. As they became accustomed to their powers, they also gained the ability to sense each other from increasing distances. Finneas was the one to come up with training that ability with games of hide-and-seek, and Kain particularly enjoyed trying to find the other Guardians while in bat form.

Kain converged from a flock of bats. “I wish there was a way we could keep her from teleporting away.”

Finneas grunted. He was concentrating on opening a tunnel into the sacred pool that didn’t require swimming. At his nod, Bavol shot a telekinetic blast to crack the stone.

“Hopefully the new poison will actually hurt that parasite this time,” Kain said.

It had taken some experimenting to figure out which pieces of the squid were large enough to survive being separated from the main body. Chixiksi had determined that the creature was not some Hylden experiment gone out of control. Chixiksi and Ozker had developed a dozen possible poisons so far, but the four that had been tested on the larger creature didn’t hurt it enough.

When the tunnel was open, Kain strode into the chamber. Tentacles withdrew into the water, out of his reach. “Your efforts are futile, Kain. I exist in places that you cannot find.”

“I take pleasure in every inconvenience that I can bring you.” Kain dumped the poison into the pool.

Kain knew that the parasite was telling the truth about existing in places that he couldn’t find. The Rahabim took great risks in exploring deep caverns for evidence of the creature, but getting too close could mean a painful end as their souls were ripped from their bodies.

Since the squid did not try to attack, there was nothing Kain could do except leave and be grateful that Keturah had one less place to hide and commune with it.

Finneas asked, “Should I continue looking?”

Kain paused in thought. “Maybe if we leave her alone for a while, she’ll go back to the others and we’ll be able to find the main nest. I hate to say it, but I wish that I could talk to the Timestreamer and ask why he led me to a bad choice.”

The Timestreamer was still an infant that could not speak. The only sign that he had any foresight is that he did not reach for things that would have been snatched from his grasp. What Kain wished was that he would travel back from the future, from after he was confirmed as a Guardian.

Kain almost expected that his wish would be granted, and that Archimedes would be waiting for him at the Pillars, but the building was empty save for the moron that kept the dais swept, and he scuttled out of the room when he saw Kain.

Kain was still unused to seeing the Pillars as anything but broken stumps. His throne had been fractured into pieces and shoved against the walls. Before they could be completely removed, Hardegin pointed out that they made decent benches. Kain had spent enough time sitting here, but he didn’t begrudge the other Guardians if they wanted to rest their legs while meditating.

Kain felt her before she came in. “Have you decided to stop running?”

“I am in a delicate condition,” Keturah said. “I do not want to be corrupted with your false vision of God.”

“Have you asked why it is so afraid to let you see it?” Kain noticed the bulge in Keturah’s abdomen and decided not to inquire about the father.

Keturah sighed. “He said that his majesty was so great that seeing him would make me long to join the Wheel. I still have a task in this life to fulfill.”

“What is that task?” Kain asked.

“He wishes to spread his grace to the imprisoned Hylden,” Keturah said. “Perhaps after all of this time, they will accept his salvation.”

“Absolutely not,” Kain said. “Keturah, please tell me that you haven’t already helped it to spread into another dimension.”

“I do not yet have the strength to do it alone,” Keturah said.

Kain grabbed her and let the purification flow. “I know that you did not want this, but you need to be able to see what it is that you call God.”

Keturah struggled, but Kain was many times stronger than her. Tears ran down her face.

“Go to it and you will know that what you’re seeing is real,” Kain said. “Do you want me to come with you? It might decide to attack you now.”

Keturah shook her head. “I need some time to think.”

Kain left her alone, confident that she was enough out of that creature’s grasp to not do anything foolish. He mentally told the others that Keturah had been found.

It was early the next day when Keturah approached Kain. “I went to the pool that Janos and the fledglings use. There’s no doubt that it lied to us.”

Kain noticed that Keturah was shaking with rage. “Will you be all right?”

She nodded. “Just as soon as you manage to destroy it. The others would not believe me when I told them what it was. Fortunately I left before they decided whether or not to hurt me.”

“We have been trying to find a way to remove it from this world, but so far we can barely hurt it,” Kain said. “If you have any insight, I am eager to hear it.”

Keturah shook her head. “I don’t think it will do any good to chase the others away from the pool that they are using. They are relying on trade with a nearby village to survive, but they would rather die than leave their service of that thing. Even some of the humans have begun to worship it.”

“I would have to purify their sight,” Kain said.

“If you could catch them,” Keturah said. “The fledglings will probably scatter, and some of them will probably survive even if you manage to purify Janos.”

“Janos is the one I am concerned about, now that you’ve seen the truth,” Kain said.


	10. Chapter 10

The first thing that Sarah was aware of when she awoke was hunger. She did not notice breaking free of her cocoon even as fragments of shell cut her skin. There were three men shackled against the wall and without hesitation, she ripped into the first one’s throat.

She became slightly less disoriented by the time she had drained the second man and she could begin to think again by the time she drained the third. She collapsed to the floor and wondered why her back felt like it was on fire.

Kain burst in. “Calm yourself.”

“Kain,” Sarah said. “Where am I?”

“Raziel’s keep.” Kain rushed to help her up. “Easy, you’re safe.”

“Hurts.” Sarah clumsily grabbed at Kain’s arms, scratching them with her talons.

“I imagine so.” Kain sat on the bed and bent Sarah over his knee. “I’m afraid that it will get worse before it gets better. Bite my arm.”

Sarah felt a ripping sensation and passed out. When she came to again, she was lying face down on the bed and blessedly the pain had ceased. She tried to move, but something felt unnatural, like… Sarah suddenly realized that she had grown wings. They twitched despite her attempts to hold them still.

“I apologize for hurting you, but your wings hadn’t fully erupted,” Kain said.

Sarah slowly sat up. Every movement sent unpleasant sensations through her wings, like trying to scratch an itch on her instep. “Thirsty.”

Kain helped her drink from a large goblet of blood. “You gave the rest of the Circle quite a scare. They feared that you had gone mad during your yearlong nap.”

“A whole year?” Sarah asked.

“Not quite, but close enough,” Kain said. “What you went through was fairly typical, but the others weren’t expecting to feel it.”

Sarah broadcast an apology, briefly touching everyone’s mind except Lorica’s. The Guardian of Death was also a Razielim, and currently going through her own state of change.

Kain refilled the goblet from a pitcher. “There are a few Razielim who haven’t entered the state of change. When you are well enough, I’d like your help in convincing them that I’m not a mad tyrant who would hurt them out of jealousy.”

For the first time, Sarah tried moving a wing deliberately. She yelped as it spasmed. “I need out of this room.”

“I took the liberty of modifying some clothing for you.” Kain unceremoniously helped Sarah get dressed. One thing he could understand was how difficult it was when a vampire’s hands turned to talons.

“Why is this place so empty?” Sarah asked as she strode out into a courtyard.

“Most of your kin are in the other pupation chambers,” Kain said. “As for the refugees, they have dispersed. The other clans were more hospitable.”

A pair of Razielim watched from the far end of the courtyard. 

“May I touch your wings?” Kain telepathically whispered to Sarah.

“I’ll probably flinch,” she replied as she sat down on a bench. She pulled one wing forward, twitching as she accidentally tickled herself. She noted that her wings didn’t have dark splotches like Raziel’s.

Kain sat next to her on the bench, and it was his turn to flinch when Sarah’s other wing clipped him on the ear. He gave her a bit more distance. “We’ve made progress on hurting the squid, though we’ve made enemies of most of the vempari.”

“What about Keturah?” Sarah asked.

“Once I made her able to see it for what it was, she became its worst enemy. The squid almost tricked her into helping it breach the demon dimension,” Kain said. “Now she wants to recruit more Hylden than we can handle into fighting it. The rest of the vempari see the purification as an unholy taint. Unfortunately that includes Janos.”

Sarah scoffed, but it was unclear if it was about Janos or because she had lost her grip on her wing. “Have you found Archimedes yet?”

“Fortunately,” Kain said. “He is an odd child and his mother is afraid of him. She intends to abandon him to us once he is weaned.”

“I look forward to meeting him.” Sarah suddenly gasped. “Cramp, cramp, ow, help.”

Kain flinched as she telepathically directed him to the pain. He drove the heel of one talon into the offending muscle in her back. Sarah’s other wing hit him in the face, and he gently restrained it.

Sarah realized that the two Razielim had rushed over, but she held up a talon before using it to grip the bench again. “I trust him,” she hissed. The pain ebbed and she relaxed into Kain’s ministrations.

Her mind was still open to Kain, and he could see that though Sarah wanted to, she didn’t actually trust him with this. She had watched the video of Raziel’s execution hundreds of times, each time focusing on different details to try and figure out what each character might have been thinking in the moment. The video looped in her mind, and Kain could not block it out in case Sarah needed to tell him something telepathically.

Eventually, Sarah’s body relaxed enough that it wasn’t worth the stress happening in her mind. “Help me try to fold them.” She used Kain’s eyes as a mirror, watching the interaction of bone and tendon. The first phalange of her left wing got caught on her right, but Kain gently brushed between them.

“I’ll leave you now,” Kain said. “I’m sure that they have questions about this gift.”

Sarah nodded. “Thank you for helping me.”

Kain whispered as he departed. “I would not have damaged them. That you had doubts and still let me have the opportunity was very brave.”


	11. Chapter 11

A mere hundred Hylden had been released from the demon dimension, all of them scientists. This was all that Kain would allow, though he was sure that he could put down a larger number if they chose to rebel. So far, they were more than willing to cooperate for the sake of their comrades left behind.

With the help of vampires, the Hylden had built their own village near the ruins of Nupraptor’s castle. The ruins themselves were easy to convert into workspaces. Cliffs surrounded them on three sides, and the only way out was through the Necropolis. Other than the Melchiahim not allowing them to leave, the relationship between the two groups was surprisingly cordial.

Chixiksi wandered through the work areas. It pained him to see what the demon dimension had done to his once-beautiful kind. Lips stretched too-tight over their teeth, their eyes were sunken, and they were all too thin. The consensus was that their appearance wasn’t a priority right now, but in time the Melchiahim’s knowledge could help them regain their beauty. For now, Melchiahim were being trained to help develop poisons for the squid.

When Chixiksi returned to his private lab, he found a note on the counter. He read it, frowned, and decided to call for Kain.

Kain arrived shortly after. “You said that you received a note from Archimedes?”

“He says that we cannot destroy the squid before we show it to Moebius,” Chixiksi said.

Kain frowned. “We have access to a time machine. I feel it is time to go have a chat with that meddlesome boy.”

“He wrote a date,” Chixiksi said, handing Kain the note. “We just came up with a new theory on how to kill the squid, thanks to a Melchiahim named Guinevere. I hesitate to begin work on it because of how dangerous it is.”

“I trust that you have the sense to not do something that we’ll all regret?” Kain asked.

“If we have the time to take proper safety precautions, the risk should be manageable,” Chixiksi said.

“Then take the time you need,” Kain said.

The specified date was almost thirty years into the future. Kain decided to use the main Chronoplast. Archimedes was waiting for him.

“You’re still human,” Kain said.

Archimedes said, “We’ve already had a much lengthier argument in which you finally relented.”

Kain frowned. “Do you know why I’m here?”

Archimedes nodded. “You want to know why I sent that note? Please be aware that I try not to meddle unless things don’t work out. That’s why I didn’t help you with Keturah. In this case, I simply wanted to motivate you to have some patience. The squid will die, and the solution is very satisfying, but it will take longer than you would really like to avoid the bad possibilities.”

“So it had nothing to do with Moebius?” Kain asked.

“You understand time well enough to know that the less you rely on streaming, the easier it is to avoid loose ends,” Archimedes said. “You could start working on Moebius when you return to when you belong, but I wanted to help break him and trying to do that as a child would have looked ridiculous.”

“I can understand the desire for revenge, but what has he done to you?” Kain asked.

“It is very likely that you will never truly trust me, and at times you even seem to hate me because of what Moebius did to you,” Archimedes said.

“I earned some of the grudge he had against me, but not all of it,” Kain said. “I will try to remember that you are your own person.”

“Thank you for your efforts,” Archimedes said. “There isn’t much else I would change before I attain my full status as a Guardian, and those things are petty. I could show you the worst-case scenarios if you force Chixiksi to rush his work, but it seems like you are patient enough to have it done right.”

“I don’t need to see the negative outcomes if the positive one is that simple,” Kain said.

“You know how to check yourself if you change your mind,” Archimedes said. “One more thing. Keturah will go into labor soon after you return to your own time. She said that she might have died if not for her Hylden midwife.”

“She will not enjoy hearing that,” Kain said.

When Kain returned to his home, he sensed that someone else was there. He then relaxed as he realized it was Sarah. Due to her ability to reach Raziel in his prison, she was allowed the liberty to visit him even if Kain was away.

He was silent as he entered the room where he kept the Reaver. Sarah knelt in front in front of its stand, her talon resting on its skull. She stood somberly.

“He wants to be left alone,” Sarah said. “There isn’t much of his mind left, but he’s content.”

“He’s earned his rest.” Kain sighed sadly. “However, I seem to be possessed by his future incarnation. Do you think you would be able to help him regain his memories?”

Sarah held out a talon, and Kain took it. She concentrated for a moment, and then shook her head. “The soul is like a child. There are no memories.”

“But he acts like Raziel,” Kain said.

“He’s meeting your expectations,” Sarah said.

The apparition had manifested while Sarah was studying it. Kain frowned at him. He looked sad and lost.

“I had hoped that I could have him back,” Kain said. “He is the one with the power to purify people’s sight. Even if I didn’t need him, I wouldn’t give him up.”


	12. Chapter 12

It was the fifth anniversary of the restoration of the Pillars. Fortunately for the Guardians, there were still walls around the base and only the people they invited were allowed inside. The humans had noticed how life had gotten better since the Pillars returned, and were celebrating outside. 

“I wish we could tell those humans what they’re celebrating,” Chixiksi spat.

Ozker held him close. “Someday, when they forget how bad it was for them.”

The Guardians had a discussion last year. Telling the whole truth, how the vempari made the Pillars and the Hylden caused their corruption, was viewed as a risky idea. There was a good chance that the humans would lash out against the races that caused them so much misery.

“I wish that I could put a stop to it,” Kain said. “It is too soon to celebrate their good fortune.”

“Five years is a long time for a mortal,” Keturah said.

Sarah came in carrying Archimedes. “Okay, you can let go now.” After she set him down, she rubbed her throat and joked, “I’m just waiting to see what happens when he starts hating me.”

“Where were you?” Kain asked.

“Outside. I hoped they would have interesting snacks this year,” Sarah said. “Turns out that Archimedes doesn’t like crowds.”

“And how is the crowd?” Kain asked. He had seen her deal with an angry mob before, so he didn’t chastise for putting herself and Archimedes in danger.

“They’re happy,” Sarah said. “The harvests were even bigger than last year, less people are dying, and they have no idea that it’s not just because of the Pillars.”

“What do the rest of you think about my not taking responsibility for my part in their misery?” Kain asked. “The mad emperor who created a vampire’s paradise.”

“You can atone by making things right,” Chixiksi said. “They have stories where you merely brought order to a chaotic and dying world, and it would only cause chaos and misery to tell them the truth.”

“A necessary evil, then,” Kain said.

“Unless you want to abandon your obligations and leave it to the rest of us,” Keturah said.

Kain gave a tight-lipped smile. “I want to see this through.”

The somber mood was broken by the laughter of children. Archimedes and Catullus, Keturah’s son, had begun a game of tag.

Ozker began to laugh as well. “The original Guardians probably would have died of shock if they could see this.”

Lorica, previously silent on the upper ledge, said, “This place has seen far worse defilement.”

“Indeed. I had lost count of how many vampires I killed here simply because they disappointed me,” Kain said.

Sarah sniggered a bit, having gotten a whisper from Lorica. Kain shot both of them a dirty look.

It was two weeks later when Kain visited Chixiksi’s lab to receive an update on their progress on killing the squid.

“It is fortunate that we took precautions,” Chixiksi said. “One of the diseases worked on not only the squid sample, but the scientists who were working on it. Three Hylden and two Melchiahim are now dead and we had to burn the room.”

Kain frowned. “That is an unfortunate setback. Can any of the work be salvaged?”

Chixiksi shook his head. “The theory was sound, but I do not want to risk having a worse accident. It could wipe out all life on the planet.”

“I appreciate your efforts, Chixiksi,” Kain said.

“You can say it,” Chixiksi said. “You’re disappointed. I am too. Though none of us can match your passion for accomplishing this task, we are all motivated by our own desire to see it dead.”

“Do you still believe that it is possible?” Kain asked.

“We can kill samples of it. It is reasonable to think that we can destroy the thing itself,” Chixiksi said. “What else can we do but continue to work? None of us can comfortably rest while that thing still exists.”

“Would it help if more of your kin were released?” Kain asked.

“It would be appreciated, but truthfully they would need to be occupied with secondary concerns,” Chixiksi said. “We’re at the point where adding more people will only result in duplicated work.”

“Can you still keep them from trying to enact revenge?” Kain asked.

“The outer city is almost empty, and they have no love for the higher castes that have been sheltered from the worst of that dimension,” Chixiksi said. “I have never been able to guarantee that some of my kind would not cause trouble for you, but you will have to release them all eventually or they’ll renew their efforts to escape.”

“I did not ask to be holding a wolf by its ears,” Kain said. “Let me know how many you can keep busy and when you are ready for them.”

A new headache came only a few weeks after that. More vempari came from the past, but they immediately demanded to see Kain. There were maybe thirty, their hands and wings were bound, and they knelt as he came in.

A woman at the front of the group said, “We pledge our service to the Scion of Balance.”

“Are you aware that your god is my enemy?” Kain asked.

She nodded. “God did not love us. We were simply fuel for his Wheel.”

Kain was wary, but this seemed like a good sign. “You realize that I cannot immediately trust you, but I can make it so that you can see that parasite.”

“We have heard that it is horrible to look at, but we can serve you better with this blessing,” she said. “We will even accept immortality if it is your will.”

“I will not force you into that,” Kain said.


	13. Chapter 13

Archimedes was almost eight years old, but he often seemed more mature. He didn’t have the knowledge of the distant future yet, but he could see the immediate consequences of his actions. One thing that he foresaw prevented him from touching the Pillar of Time despite it calling out to him. He didn’t know what exactly what would happen, but it would cause him to start screaming.

Lately, he felt unsettled, like there was another earthquake coming. During the last one, he had seen exactly where to hide to keep from getting hurt, but his Turelim bodyguard had refused to leave him and suffered painful injuries as a result. He hadn’t been able to see a way to protect her.

Archimedes knew that Moebius could see across centuries, able to continue conversations with time-travelers in past-tense as if he had been there for the first part. Archimedes could only say things differently to affect the responses to what he said, and only one or two sentences at a time. He wished that he could see further now.

There was a knock at the door, and Archimedes jumped in surprise. There was only one person that could surprise him, and that was Sarah. He let her in and asked, “Why are you here?”

“You were getting so upset that I’m having trouble blocking it out,” Sarah said. “How can I help?”

Archimedes knew enough about how Sarah’s powers worked to know that she could have ignored him easily if she really wanted to. “I don’t even know why I feel like this. It’s like I need to do something, but I can’t figure out what it is.”

Sarah put her hand on his shoulder. “You have a few more inches to go before you go back in time to talk to Kain and I, but I wonder how long you took to adjust to your Pillar.”

Archimedes stepped back, but then he realized that she might be right. “Now I’m wishing that I had told you.”

“Maybe you did,” Sarah said. “You showed me what it was like to be you, but I got overwhelmed. Maybe seeing it without filters wasn’t meant for me. I didn’t learn anything that you couldn’t have just told me. Your mind works differently, so maybe there is something that you can understand.”

“If nothing else, it will show me what to expect,” Archimedes said.

They sat cross-legged on the floor, facing each other and holding hands. They had linked minds many times before. Some of Sarah’s powers could be controlled by other people if she let them, and she had thought that Archimedes could learn to control his own powers more easily if he practiced with hers.

The mindscape was blank, save for a large chest. Sarah pointed to it. “I locked the memories away. When you’re ready, you can open it.”

Archimedes took a breath and willed the chest to open. A cacophony of images flooded his mind. He withdrew without meaning to. “That’s what I have to look forward to?”

“You will learn how to handle it,” Sarah said. “You can take it in small doses for now.”

Archimedes connected again, and again the images threatened to overwhelm him. “I can’t make sense of it.”

“Don’t try to,” Sarah said. “I’m shutting the memory away for the moment. Listen to the fortress with me.”

Archimedes didn’t like this exercise. As Sarah dropped her defenses, he imagined a curtain around his own mind to muffle it. “How can you stand to open yourself up to all that noise? I can barely stand how crowded it is without hearing their thoughts.”

“I’ve been through worse and learned to get used to it,” Sarah said. “I wasn’t telepathic as a child, but it doesn’t matter if the crowd is big enough.” She called up a memory of a fortress unlike anything that Archimedes had ever seen. Every surface was polished, either stone, metal, or glass, and there were colored lights everywhere. It was so packed with people that they had to move like flowing water and the noise was like an avalanche.

Archimedes broke contact. “I don’t think I could have been there without screaming.”

“I did scream,” Sarah said. “And then my dad took me to the edge of it and hit me until I stopped.”

Archimedes had never actually been hit, but that was because he could see it coming and behave in a way that wouldn’t get him punished. Except for when he annoyed Sarah. Fortunately, she had only told him what he was doing wrong, and he cooperated because he didn’t know what she would do if he didn’t.

Archimedes said, “What will you do if I want to quit?”

“If you don’t want to try and decode that memory, I will worry about you,” Sarah said. “You cannot turn your back on being a Guardian.”

“You’ll worry about me?” Archimedes asked. “You’re not going to do anything?”

“The rest of us got to grow up before taking on this obligation,” Sarah said. “I don’t need to make this harder for you.”

“I’m scared,” Archimedes said.

“You have every right to be,” Sarah said. “I wish that I could tell you that this won’t be hard, or that I could help you more.”

“There’s also something bad coming. I want to be able to see it.” Archimedes shuddered. “You said that I would learn how to handle it. That will happen because it did, and it doesn’t matter how prepared I am. I will scream, and then I will be fine.”

“The rules don’t work right around me,” Sarah said. “But I believe that you’ll be alright because this is what you were born to do.”

“I don’t want the others to see,” Archimedes said. “Will you help me?”

“As much as I can,” Sarah said.


	14. Chapter 14

Sarah wasn’t sure that she was doing the right thing. On one hand, Archimedes was a child and shouldn't be allowed to make important decisions. While he couldn’t have a completely normal childhood, Sarah had been the most vocal about letting him grow up a little before bearing the full weight of his obligation. Kain had wanted to confirm him as a Guardian before he could form proper sentences, but Keturah, Hardegin, and Finneas agreed with Sarah.

Now Sarah waited at the edge of the dais as Archimedes faced his Pillar. He had been standing there for a half an hour, and Sarah decided to let him take all the time he felt he needed. Ultimately it was his decision when to accept his burden.

“I can’t do it.” Archimedes turned away. “Please don’t be angry.”

“I’m not. I might get annoyed if we kept coming here for nothing, but maybe you’re not ready,” Sarah said.

“What will happen if I don’t do this when I’m still a child?” Archimedes asked.

Sarah shrugged. “Kain’s the one who spent centuries trying to figure out the rules of time. My best guess is that our memories will be wrong, or maybe they’ll change.”

“I don’t want to ask Kain,” Archimedes said.

Sarah frowned. “Has he been mean to you again?”

Archimedes shook his head. “He would be angry. I know the rest of you wouldn’t let him do anything to me, but I still get flashes of what he could do.”

Sarah resisted the urge to hug him. “I wish I had known. It is not good to be alone with feelings like that.”

“There’s nothing you could have done.” Archimedes turned to stare at his Pillar. “I need to do this.”

Sarah watched as Archimedes laid his hands against his Pillar. An hourglass melted out of the stone, and he took it. He whimpered a little and staggered backwards, then collapsed to his knees. Sarah had her arms around him before the first scream.

She could feel his mind being overwhelmed as he saw everything happening at once. “Don’t try to understand it. Just let it happen.” She tried to shield him from the onslaught, to try and give him room to think his own thoughts, but he was the conduit. There was nothing she could do but keep him from hurting himself as he thrashed.

The other Guardians had noticed, and Sarah broadcast that she would explain later.

Eventually, Achimedes fell unconscious. His breathing was heavy and he occasionally twitched. Sarah picked him up and teleported both of them to his bedroom. She was tucking him in when he briefly woke up and grabbed her arm, but then he passed out again.

Sarah telepathically contacted Kain. “Archimedes gave me temporal coordinates for the time-viewing windows. Something bad is coming.”

Sarah stayed by Archimedes’ bedside. He was still being assaulted by images even as he slept. Some of them caused him to cry out, but Sarah could only watch. She could later remember the images she saw in his head, but she couldn’t tell what context they came from or even how likely they were to happen.

Archimedes eventually stilled and slept deeply for several hours, the visions giving way to dreams. He woke up in the middle of the night.

“How are you?” Sarah asked.

“I now have the entirety of my whole life to draw on as experience. What I was before feels like a dream,” Archimedes said. “You said you didn’t learn anything when I showed you what it was like to be me, but you gave me exactly the help that I needed to prepare for this. I just need to be alone for now.”

“Call for me if you need anything,” Sarah said.

It was rare for all nine Guardians to gather at once. Usually when there was a problem that extended beyond a bit of teamwork, the three or four most qualified to handle it would gather to discuss it, and then the absent members would be kept informed. They weren’t supposed to be rulers, they were meant to passively serve… but the world needed all of the Guardians to take an active role in healing it. It was also hard to keep Kain from falling back into his habit of acting like god-emperor of everything he could see.

They met in a room near the Pillars. Nine chairs were arranged in a circle. Archimedes was the last to arrive.

As he took his seat, Archimedes said, “You might find my change in personality a bit disturbing, but mentally I am no longer a child. I am grateful for my childhood, but sacrificing what was left was a choice that I made deliberately. I needed access to my full powers.”

“And why is that?” Kain asked. “I looked into the windows of time as you indicated, and it seems that the coming conflict revolves around the followers of the squid. Apparently you were the one who sent Janos back into time to send vempari forward.”

“The children were a short-term inconvenience for a long-term gain. The squid would have stayed burrowed too deeply if it didn’t have servants, and they’re the ones who can be used to most effectively hurt it,” Archimedes said. “As for the latest group of vempari, surely they have proven their loyalty by now. Janos is on our side before I send him back.”

Kain frowned. “It sounds like you have a plan. I want to know the full details.”

Archimedes nodded. “They key to killing the squid is to keep it from being able to heal and grow. There is a risk to the people who would be carriers of the virus, but most of the deaths would be among the worshipers.”

“Are you serious?” Chixiksi asked. “Viruses are difficult to keep under control, especially if they are contagious, and you say we’re going to have one that affects people?”

“It is not impossible to keep a virus under control, and you will manage it with my guidance,” Archimedes said. “The alternative is to allow that thing to continue to exist. We cannot possibly uproot it completely while it is able to grow back. The fight would be unending with many chances for it to win. You have some time to think about this.”

“What you’re proposing seems reckless, but I will give it some thought,” Chixiksi said. “We certainly haven’t been able to find the answer yet with what we have been trying.”

“How many vempari will die?” Keturah asked.

“That depends on them. Not everything is fixed,” Archimedes said. “Humans have begun to serve the squid as well, and they’ll have the most casualties.”

“Have you set anything else in motion?” Kain asked.

“Only vempari being sent forward, and the next wave won’t be until this is over,” Archimedes said. “You will probably want to bring some Hylden warriors into your service for the coming conflict.”


	15. Chapter 15

Janos sat in his hut, watching the sunset. It was a modest dwelling, nestled among buildings set apart from the village that had helped them to survive their first winters. The humans hadn’t known what to make of them at first, but they settled into a peaceful coexistence in the worship of The Wheel of Fate.

There was a knock at the door. Janos opened it and said, “Ozker. The Circle of Nine saw fit to send a messenger instead of one of their own?”

Ozker nodded. “They mean no disrespect by it. Even if their assumptions aren’t correct, I can handle this situation about as well as most of them could.”

“Then you have an idea about what caused this affliction?” Janos asked.

Ozker nodded again. “If I could see someone who is experiencing the problem?”

Janos led Ozker to another hut and knocked. A strapping young vempari answered the door.

Janos pointed to the lad’s bandaged arm. “He accidentally cut himself more than a month ago and it hasn’t healed.”

“Open your mouth, please.” Ozker swabbed the lad’s mouth and put it into a test tube full of liquid. The liquid turned orange. “I know exactly what’s causing this. If we could speak in private…”

They returned to Janos’ hut and sat down.

“There is no easy way to say this, but the Circle isn’t willing to give the cure to anyone whose sight has not been purified,” Ozker said. “However, they do not want to see the worshippers suffer. I can show you how to use the skin-mender and anyone who has more serious injuries is welcome to ask the Hylden for help even if they do not want their sight purified.”

Janos sneered. “Was this plague concocted by the Hylden to coerce us into rejecting the Wheel?”

“It was engineered, but it had a different purpose. That the worshippers were affected is simply collateral damage,” Ozker said. “All souls are drawn to the Wheel whether they accept it or not; that’s what we want to change. The Circle wouldn’t care about your worship, but they’re worried about what it will compel you to do.”

Janos frowned. The Wheel of Fate did have plans for his followers, but he wouldn’t tell them to the heretic. Also, Kain likely suspected that God still wanted him dead. The Pillars were restored, but Kain carried an unholy taint. The entire Circle was probably lost, but their successors would be safe if Kain could be removed.

“I will not discuss blasphemy with you,” Janos said. “You could have come back into his grace, just as I did, but now you are lost.”

“He abandoned us, and he’ll likely abandon you again if somehow you stop being useful. I only hope that someday you will see the truth,” Ozker said. “The offer of the skin-mender still stands.”

“If we are to suffer if we do not accept your ultimatum, then we will suffer,” Janos said. “Get out.”

Ozker teleported away, leaving Janos with his own thoughts. He decided to ask the Wheel of Fate for guidance. 

Outside Janos’ hut, a small group was gathered. Janos recognized them as vempari and humans that had the affliction. Janos felt a pang of conscience at rejecting a short-term alleviation of their symptoms, especially since he seemed unaffected yet.

The lad from before, Marinell, said, “The apostate said that he knew what this was.”

Janos indicated that the group should follow him. He was silent until he reached the tunnel that led to the sacred cave. “He does, and there is a cure, but the Circle refuses to give it to us unless we let ourselves be corrupted with false visions of God.”

There were angry mutters behind Janos. He emerged into the main cathedral, which would seem like only an impressive natural cavern to someone who did not know that this was a place where God resided. Janos murmured a prayer in greeting. Because God could see into his heart, he spoke before Janos could decide how to phrase his question.

“You did well,” God said. “Since they will not give you the cure without furthering their own agenda, you must take it by force.”


	16. Chapter 16

The Chronoplast was not quite the way it was depicted in Soul Reaver. The Oracle Cave was correct, as was the embarkation chamber deep underground, but there were no complicated puzzles in between. The most notable difference was that instead of the windows into time being spaced along a hallway, they were collected in one room.

Kain stood unmoving in front of one of the windows, only bothering to blink a few times per hour. He had been watching for eighteen hours straight, and though he had found several possibilities that he would like to explore further, he hadn’t found one that he wanted to explore right now.

“Has it occurred to you that you should start asking before using _my_ time windows?” Archimedes asked.

“You’re welcome to try and remove me,” Kain said.

“That’s not funny,” Archimedes said. “Just because you gained some insight through sheer persistence and luck does not mean that you’re using these effectively. Do you even know what you are looking for?”

A thoughtful look crossed Kain’s face. “I want to see a future without the Squid. It seems I must approach the problem obliquely.”

“What do you mean, obliquely?” Archimedes asked.

“If there is something it doesn’t show me immediately, I try to find something related that it will show me,” Kain said. “I can work outward from there and eventually find what I’m looking for.”

Archimedes knew that Kain had spent thousands of hours trying to predict Raziel’s path even though it was shrouded from direct observation. Archimedes had similar problems with how the Squid did not appear in the time-windows, even to beings that could see it when in its presence.

“And what have you seen?” Archimedes asked.

Kain sneered. “I saw myself impaled. I intend to examine that further to find out who will betray me.”

Archimedes tilted his head. “Yes, you should examine that more closely, both the events leading up to it and the consequences.”

“What do you know about it?” Kain asked.

“If it’s the events I saw, you shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Archimedes said. “I know you won’t believe me, so I’m not going to bother explaining.”

“I still wish to hear your interpretation of it,” Kain said. “I will not tolerate you being cryptic.”

“You must allow me to be enigmatic when we’re not alone together. If I readily admit it when I’m baffled, my reputation for being right when I do know what’s going on will suffer,” Archimedes said. “I’m not going to give you my guesses for why, but it seems that your internment was voluntary and likely temporary.”

“Voluntary‽”

“Damned if I do, damned if I don’t,” Archimedes said. “I admire your restraint, Kain, but there was a chance that you would have hurt me in that moment, enough that I had a vision of it happening. 

“You don’t even realize that this happens every time I even consider doing or saying something that you would be displeased with. I’d happily bait you into actually doing it by now, but then my successor would suffer in the same way. I cannot fulfill my duties while I’m afraid of you, so I refuse to be afraid of you.” What had started out as a calm explanation turned into a torrent of emotion.

Kain crouched so that he was eye-level with Archimedes. “I admit that my temper is volatile, but I also have faith in my ability to control it. What would ease your mind?”

Archimedes’ laugh was like a madman realizing he had blood on his hands. “I need a moment.”

When he composed himself, Archimedes said, “I lost my temper and didn’t see it coming. Everyone has their breaking point, it seems. My memories of a dead future are fading now, but I relented in telling you what I knew about the impalement because it would have led to a tension between us that gave no indication of release. This is just a respite.”

“Tell me what would help, even if it’s something that I would say no to,” Kain said.

“There is nothing you can do about the visions of you injuring me, though I do applaud you on your ability to hide the desire,” Archimedes said. “I cannot ask for too much trust from you. Even if you were willing to give it, I am not infallible. However, it would be nice if you would believe me when I tell you to seek your own answers.”

“Whenever I spoke with your future incarnations, you complained about how I did not trust you,” Kain said.

“It does aggravate me, but I know that neither of us is truly to blame for it,” Archimedes said. “There is a saying from Sarah’s world. ‘Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’ I have the wisdom, so I must work on the serenity part. I don’t see a future where your trust in me isn’t short-lived, followed by a deeper distrust even when I’ve done nothing wrong and the results are to your liking.”

“It seems that Moebius had the ability to cause mischief long after his death,” Kain said. “There are moments when I’m convinced that you are plotting my folly.”

“Some of the mannerisms are part of the role,” Archimedes said.


	17. Chapter 17

There were holding cells in the Hylden territory, but they had never been used before today. Hylden did not get drunk and consequently rowdy. The vampires that worked beside them might succumb to their feral urges, but it was more expedient to stake them and have them removed from Nadzeya. Humans and vempari were rare visitors, and had always been asked to leave if they showed signs of being less than polite.

Today, Nadzeya had been attacked by the servants of the Wheel. The vempari were battered but all still alive, though one was a close call that was only saved due to the skills of Hylden physicians. They had been aided by the Squid’s shadow creatures, but it seemed that more could not be summoned once they had been dispelled.

Kain sneered at Janos through the barrier that blocked the door of his cage. “The main reason that I do not kill you right now is because you have a task that would fall to your son if you die, and he does not deserve that burden.”

“No doubt he is corrupted and more amenable to whatever blasphemy you have in mind,” Janos said.

“Janos, my patience for zealots is wearing thin,” Kain said. “Your blind devotion to a master that discarded you once is a madness I cannot understand.”

“We were not discarded,” Janos said. “The curse rendered us unable to hear him.”

“That is a lie,” Kain said. “It tried to tempt Sarah and I heard it quite clearly.”

Janos shook his head. “There is a pretender. Raziel’s destiny was perverted by it, and so in turn was yours.”

Kain mouthed “sneaky devil” to himself as he processed the information. “How then do you know that the god you’re listening to is real and not this pretender?”

“The faithful know his true voice,” Janos said.

Kain sighed in frustration. “Perhaps I should have an apostate try to convince you. Your stubbornness is not serving you well at the moment.”

Janos was serene. “It is you who must give in, Kain. Submit to the Wheel and be reborn in his grace.”

“And who would defeat this pretender except for someone who can see it?” Kain asked. “If your Wheel truly has an enemy, then it seems odd that it would not allow us to defeat the pretender before throwing ourselves into oblivion.”

Finally a shadow of doubt crossed Janos’ face. “Even I am not privy to the reasoning behind his will. I only know that you must stop spreading the corruption that clouds your sight.”

“Are you allowed to ask the reasons?” Kain asked. “Or are you supposed to follow its commands without question?”

“It is allowed, but it is not a good thing. I doubt that you can appreciate the danger,” Janos said. 

“It will punish you if you ask too many questions?” Kain asked.

Janos shook his head. “Lack of faith invites a sickness into the spirit. If you allow me to, I would ask these questions for you. I am confident that I will not falter.”

“I will give it some thought.” Kain turned to indicate a large jar sitting on the floor. “What do you think is in there?”

“God poured some of his essence into that container so that his aid could reach us in these ensorcelled halls,” Janos said.

Kain kicked gently at the jar, earning a wince from Janos. “It looks like a piece of the chatty fiend we have been fighting. It is fortunate that it was already dead by the time they captured you, or it would have been removed.”

“That is nothing but an illusion meant to deceive you,” Janos said.

“You have convinced me that even if I force you to see the truth, you would not believe it.” Kain turned away, leaving Janos alone in his cell.

Kain was discomforted by the Squid managing to outmaneuver his arguments, not that it wasn’t to be expected. The real reason that Kain decided not to force purification onto Janos just yet was that perhaps it would be more advantageous to try and use him as an intermediary and possibly learn more about his adversary by forcing him to defend himself with an audience. 

If nothing else, purifying Janos while the Squid was mid-sentence would destroy one of its arguments. It fell strangely silent when confronted with an apostate, which meant that no one could compare the voice. Not that it really mattered because Kain was sure that the Wheel and the parasite were one and the same.

The most galling thing to Kain was Janos’ lack of concern about his son. Then again, he had never even met Catullus. It was enough to stay Kain’s hand to think about shifting a father’s burden to his child, even though Kain didn’t care about the boy himself.

Kain still wondered if Archimedes was being truthful about Janos’ future, but he couldn’t deny that someone, supposedly someone who looked like Janos, had gone back in time to send vempari forward. As time went on, it seemed more unlikely that Janos would ever be in a state to atone for serving the Squid. Kain wondered what the point was in hoping that Janos would become an ally again.

Kain decided to speak with an apostate, as much as it annoyed him. Somehow each one of them was a sycophant who was completely willing to replace their worship of a false god with serving someone who was trying not to fall into old habits of acting like one. Most vampires that were left from the Empire at least humored him when he explained to them that his claim to actual divinity was somewhat of an exaggeration.


	18. Chapter 18

The area that served as the apostate’s base was a ruin that was of no interest to Kain when he built his Empire, as it had been of no interest to any human kingdom after the vempari died out. Even calling it a ruin was kind because whatever buildings stood here in ages past were eroded so that they could barely be discerned as the remains of intentional construct.

As soon as the apostates were allowed to fly free, they had found the place and asked to be allowed to live there. Kain saw no reason not to grant them a territory that had never properly been claimed by anyone else, mostly due to the requirement of wings to get there. It had only been a year, but they seemed to have made it a comfortable, if crude, home for themselves.

Kain coalesced at the entrance to the aerie, and immediately a guard sounded the cry of “Scion!” Kain resigned himself to the inevitable feeling of being crowded, though an apostate would never come within a wingspan of him unless invited.

Kain scanned the gathering apostates and pointed. “Letja, I wish to speak with you in private.” She had been the spokeswoman when her group first arrived, and it seemed the only one who came with anything past the barest essentials of Kain’s language. The others were learning, but Kain did not have the patience to see if anyone had surpassed her.

Keturah sometimes lived with the apostates, and her hand was evident in the room that Letja led Kain to, for which Kain was appreciative. The apostates would have likely squandered what little resources they had on a grand temple for Kain to hold court, but instead there was a simple room set aside for intimate meetings and anything Kain had to say to more than three of them had to be done in the courtyard.

Kain suspected that the room was meant for any Guardian who visited, but the rough-hewn chair was definitely built or chosen with him in mind, given how light vempari tended to be. Kain settled into it and bid Letja to take a seat. To say that the other articles of furniture were stools or benches was a matter of semantics, but Letja pulled hers several inches in order to sit at what she must have judged to be the proper distance.

Kain asked, “How were you turned against the Wheel?”

“Nasser was in the place we go when there is wrongness in our spirits,” Letja said. “It was different for each of us, but instead of guiding us back to the Wheel, he told us of how we needed to be saved from it, and that our salvation would come through the Scion.” 

“You’ll be saved because I intend to kill that thing you once worshipped,” Kain said. “Are you expecting anything more than that?”

“It seems that we no longer suffer from wrongness in our spirits,” Letja said.

“Janos described it as a sickness, and perhaps dangerous. What is it?” Kain asked.

“Nefasrum,” Letja spat. “To call it sickness or wrongness is not saying how bad it is, but you do not have a word for it. Taking joy in the pain of others, feeling empty when hearing the scriptures, having no guilt when you do not do something that you see needs to be done… these are some signs of a spirit being unwell.”

“And questioning the Wheel?” Kain asked. “Is that also a sign of being unwell?”

Letja lowered her gaze. “Sometimes. Nefasrum can begin with doubt. Certain questions, it is better to ask them because the answer can soothe the doubt. Wanting the answer to too many questions, or not trusting the answers, that is a sign.”

Kain had given the apostates very little direction since he hadn’t needed them for any tasks. Still he had given a few commands and they had been obeyed without complaint or question, including an instruction that they be kept as prisoners for a time. Kain discouraged anyone but his sons from asking “why” in the days of the Empire, but the punishment had been physical unless chastisement would do. Convincing people that they could become sick in the spirit if they doubted their god’s commands was diabolical.

“I do not see how someone such as I could remove the wrongness from your spirits.” Kain had listened to the symptoms of an ill spirit and felt that it described him well. “All I did was allow you to see the parasite for what it was.”

“We no longer suffer,” Letja corrected. “If the illness was truly gone, we would be giddy.”

Kain suspected that Letja was aiming for another word that didn’t exist in his language, but he figured that it was because it was a feeling that only came to the religious. “Does that bother you?”

“I am concerned,” Letja said. “Those who are wrong in the spirit often become cruel.”

Kain realized that he should have discussed such things with an apostate as soon as they were given to him. They had been vulnerable, in the midst of a crisis of faith, and whoever was posing as Nasser took advantage of it to make them believe that Kain could help them in a way that he wasn’t equipped to. He would have to let them down gently.

“That is something that I cannot directly help you with, but I will try to find someone who can,” Kain said. “What would happen if someone who doesn’t have wrongness in his spirit were to be shown the parasite? Could he convince himself that it is just a trick?”

Letja shook her head. “Scion, did you not feel it when you saw? The knowing is painful and undeniable.”

“I was simply repulsed.” Kain wondered if the one who sent them forward in time had ever seen the squid. “Did Nasser tell you about his reaction to it, or anything that I should be told?”

Letja shook her head again. “Not to me.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is about to spend a lot of time revolving around Archimedes, the true Mary-Sue of the story. :P I'll try to get back to Janos soon.

Kain wanted to speak to Archimedes next, but the mental reply was testy. “I’m visiting Finneas and will meet with you in his garden.”

Kain disliked New Eden. The meadows and forests that Finneas had ‘encouraged’ along its edges through force of will were a reminder of just how damaged the land had become while he was waiting for his coin to land on its edge. Worse still was the inner portion immediately surrounding Finneas’ house. Like his brother Vorador, he surrounded himself with enough water that he should have been uncomfortable.

Finneas was sitting in an outer courtyard, likely waiting to greet Kain when he arrived, but making it seem like that was where he had decided to sit for unrelated purposes. “It is rare for you to grace my home.”

The last time Kain had been here was many years ago, and that was to have a heated discussion about the weather. Finneas had assured him that he would show a bit more caution in the future, and so far there hadn’t been any more disasters. “Archimedes said that he was visiting you. He’s the person I want to see.”

“He loves what I’ve done here, and I take pleasure in having someone appreciate my sanctuary. Why don’t I give you a proper tour while you wait?” Finneas noticed Kain’s reaction and smiled. “He’s not at your beck and call.”

Kain had never gotten the hang of smiles. Some vampires would grin as broadly as a human despite the showing of teeth having other meanings. Finneas’ smile seemed friendly, but his fangs had been visible.

Kain gave a tight-lipped frown. “Do you think that maybe he did this on purpose? Did he manipulate you into an opportunity to teach me a lesson?”

“Do I need to do more than remind you to have some manners, Kain?” Finneas asked. “He did manipulate me in the most effective way possible, which was to explain his problem and ask politely if I would intercede when given a good opening to do so. He even asked if he was welcome here today when it was likely that you would be looking for him.”

“It sounds like you believe that I intend to hurt him,” Kain said.

Finneas pinched the bridge of his nose. “Walk with me. Perhaps I can figure out how to put it into terms that you will understand.”

They crossed a wooden bridge. Kain turned at the noise of a sudden splash and saw a flash of silver scales.

“There are many problems here, but one of them is that Archimedes is human,” Finneas said. “You’re treating him unfairly, but a vampire would be able to tolerate it, or decide that it’s worth getting violent about. All Archimedes can do is make us aware of the undue stress you’re putting him under and hope that we help him.”

“I doubt that mewling at a vampire to stand up for him is his only option,” Kain said.

“It is his best option, considering how fragile he is physically,” Finneas said. “He also thinks about the consequences. If Archimedes wanted a less diplomatic solution, I’m sure that Hardegin would have been up to the task.”

Kain contemplated how resistant he had been to correction in the early days of the rebuilt Circle. Fortunately Hardegin was sturdy even by vampire standards, though the same should be said about Kain considering the levels of violence their scuffle escalated to. These days, someone daring to snarl in his face gave him enough pause to question whether or not he was in the wrong instead of immediately seeking to spill the challenger’s blood.

“I might have more to fear from him than he does from me,” Kain murmured.

Finneas grit his teeth for a moment. “If this is simple paranoia, then the danger is from you. When Archimedes is with me, he seems as relaxed as is possible for a human in the presence of a vampire. Trust the rest of us to keep an eye on him because I don’t see an alternative that sits well with me.”

“Nor do I have any viable solutions that would be condoned,” Kain said. “You don’t trust Archimedes completely?”

“I’m not an idiot. It’s possible for history to repeat itself,” Finneas said. “I don’t see Archimedes as a threat right now, but that might change if you keep pushing him.”

“I shall bear that in mind, but I do still need to have a chat with him,” Kain said.

They walked on a path that followed the stream. A large bird with a neck like a snake approached them and hissed. Finneas just kept walking, ducking as it flew at his head. There was a time when Kain would have accused him of creating a hybrid monster, but he knew by now that such a creature was likely from Sarah’s world. Many animals had gone extinct during Kain’s lifetime, and the humans needed hardy beasts to replace their livestock.

The stream was fed by a lake with stone sides. As Kain and Finneas approached the shore, Archimedes pulled himself out of the water. “The aquascaping is as lovely as ever, Finneas. I apologize for being too distracted to appreciate it properly, but it was soothing.”

Finneas gave a slight bow in acknowledgment.

Archimedes went to the bench where his clothes were piled and picked up a towel. “Kain, have I told you yet that I try not to meddle if things work out?”

“Not yet, but I remember.” Kain hated trying to keep non-linear tenses straight. “Are you saying that you didn’t tell me about an issue with the apostates because learning about it just now will have no ill effects?”

“Not quite, but there are multiple ways to similar outcomes and there is no ideal path in this case. What feels like a mistake now is actually a good thing.” Archimedes paused before continuing to dry himself off. “I feel like walking you through how it’s a good thing will sour the outcome a bit.”

Kain resolutely crossed his arms and suppressed the urge to growl. He had a few half-formed retorts, but anger was not a good thing when Finneas had just lectured him about his treatment of his fellow Guardian. Kain simply waited for Archimedes to explain himself, considering that he had to have known what almost happened.

Archimedes set his towel down and walked to the edge of the water before turning. “I just realized that you don’t know about the parlor trick. I’m willing to explain how I usually know what questions you intend to ask.”

There was a distortion. Kain felt as if he was moving through molasses before he realized that he was reaching out to choke the boy. Archimedes had blurred as he fell backwards into the water, but Kain caught the lack of surprise on his face and decided it must have been deliberate. Seeing a Rahabim drag Archimedes down was what switched Kain’s mood from anger to panic.

Finneas dragged Kain backwards from the edge and shoved him hard enough to knock him on his ass. “He’s safe now.”


	20. Chapter 20

Though some of the complexities of vampire body language were lost on Kain, he could read Finneas clearly. The other vampire was ready to react, but he would only attack if provoked. “There’s an air pocket down there and that vampire works for me.”

Kain’s mind was reeling, so he was willing to stay on the ground for a moment. “I reached for him without thought. It’s fortunate that he seemed to be expecting it.”

“Constantly,” Finneas said. “He said he was afraid that someday he wouldn’t be able to avoid saying something that would incite you.”

“Did he give any indication that he was expecting it to be today?” Kain asked.

Finneas frowned as he thought. “He mentioned a few things that he was worried about today, but I think he honestly didn’t see this until it was too late.”

For a moment, Kain was willing to reexamine his beliefs about a Time Guardian’s limits. Archimedes had hinted that he wasn’t omniscient, but without understanding that Kain would disbelieve such a claim… That didn’t explain why the boy would use a self-proclaimed parlor trick to reinforce an illusion of omniscience.

“I want to take him up on his offer to explain,” Kain said.

“Not without some precautions. That was too close,” Finneas said. “I don’t have any chains lying around and I doubt that I have ropes that will hold you. How do you feel about being bound with plants?”

Kain couldn’t help the snarl that crossed his face. Even cleansed of the corruption that he’d had all of his life, it had left scars that made it seem like he was still half-mad. He forced himself to nod.

Finneas led him to a stump. It was a little low for Kain’s comfort, but it was more dignified than staying on the ground any longer. Within a moment, roots entwined to encase his legs and bind his arms. Kain tested his bonds and asked, “Can you make them stronger?” He could easily escape by shape-shifting or teleporting, but those required intent that he wasn’t likely to have in the midst of a fit of rage. Really Finneas had done an adequate job, but Kain’s pride would not let him admit it.

While there weren’t exactly rules about Guardians using their powers against each other, it was something that they agreed to avoid. Finneas would have been chastised for what he was doing if Kain hadn’t consented. What Archimedes did earlier when he was defending himself from Kain would be accepted as necessary.

Archimedes was dressed in more than swim shorts now. “The secret to knowing most of your questions without you having asked them is actually pretty simple. I’m constantly looking ahead to try and avoid raising your ire. As I’m doing that, I’m also viewing a timestream where I did have to ask you what you wanted. You seemed annoyed at that most of the time, so I started skipping that part for expediency. I was sure you had some idea of how it’s done. Despite my best efforts, I made a mistake. It wasn’t intended as a deception.”

Kain stared thoughtfully at Archimedes. “And how did you suddenly realize that you had assumed wrong?”

“I hit a point where had to start explaining how it worked because my ability to do it relies on you being willing to tell me what I need to know.” Archimedes touched his windpipe. “It seems like you hate surprises more than I do. There was a lot of yelling.”

“Are you likely to surprise me again?” Kain asked.

Archimedes shrugged. “I cannot avoid something that I cannot see. I could have tried harder to make you aware of my limits as I understand them, but even now I don’t think you’d believe me.”

Kain spent a moment thinking. It was true that he wouldn’t trust Archimedes to tell the complete truth. Even though all of the boy’s few attempts at lying had shown that he was bad at it, that could have been a more sophisticated ruse. “It would not be a waste of breath to tell me now. I will listen to what you have to say, and what I choose to do with that knowledge will be my responsibility.”

“Finneas, I have enough faith in Kain’s honesty and integrity that asking you to witness this is mostly a formality. Do you accept this burden?” Archimedes asked.

“I would recommend a second at least if you’re not holding to traditional numbers, but I will take this seriously,” Finneas said.

This sort of oath had fallen out of fashion with mortals by the time Kain was born, but he had learned about it since the tradition carried legal weight with the Lion Throne. Kain would not be bound by the ritual itself, but by how it would damage his integrity if he tried to go against the spirit of it, which was the same way it had always worked even when superstition would say otherwise. Finneas had enough of a reputation that he would be believed about what he saw if Kain tried to lie about it later, so this was pure formality… to heavily-cloak an insult.

“Despite having an advantage, I will make mistakes. Even with being careful, I may become confused about whether or not things actually happened,” Archimedes said. “I also don’t know everything. I haven’t delved too deeply into learning about my predecessor yet, but I’m guessing that he relied heavily on misdirection to reinforce his exaggerated claims to omniscience.”

Kain considered that Archimedes was understating his abilities in order to seem weaker than he actually was. Then again, it’s not like Kain hadn’t been fooled by Moebius before, and might still be taken in by a ruse of power. “It seems that I must adjust my expectations of you.” Even if Archimedes was just trying to get Kain to lower his guard, he wouldn’t then use his full abilities.

“It will have to do. I know you’re trying to remember that I’m not him… and failing,” Archimedes said. “One of my concerns about today was that you would ask me for advice about Janos, and the short answer is that I don’t know how you’re going to turn him against the squid, just that you do. In one of the possibilities, he might try to blind himself so he can’t see it.”

The branches binding Kain creaked. He was simply trying to stand in response to feeling insulted, but he forced himself to be calm. “How do you not know?”

Archimedes shrugged again. “I wish that I could give you an explanation.”


	21. Chapter 21

The entire Circle, save for Bavol, was gathered. The Guardian of Energy had mentally withdrawn, unwilling to spare thoughts for anything but serving the needs of his Pillar. Considering the gravity of what happened between Archimedes and Kain, it was best that everyone else got the same information at once.

“I became angry at Archimedes because of something he said. Instead of giving him a chance to explain, I tried to attack him. Fortunately he was expecting it, and managed to slow me down so that he could escape,” Kain said. “I accept that I am the one who acted wrongly.”

“This has to stop,” Sarah said. “I know that even when you don’t actually move to attack him, he sees a possibility where you do. Even that is damaging.”

“Nothing can be done,” Archimedes said.

“Does it happen when he’s not around?” Sarah asked. “What if he never spoke to you again?”

Archimedes blinked in surprise. “It would be a solution if it were possible. I wouldn’t be able to see it coming if you decided to attack me, but I can be around the rest of the Circle without fear.”

“Why isn’t it possible?” Sarah asked. “Don’t give me that look, Kain.”

“It is difficult to explain, but there would be consequences,” Archimedes said. “I will do whatever I can to fulfill my obligation.”

“Taking care of yourself is part of that,” Finneas said. “Kain acts like a tyrant and the only reason we let him get away with half of it is because it takes less energy to just ignore it. We cannot ignore what he is doing to you and would have intervened sooner if we had realized the depth of what was happening.”

When Archimedes didn’t speak right away, Keturah asked, “Would this be easier if we asked Kain to leave?”

Archimedes shook his head. “I’m not going to betray you, but Kain is convinced that I will and that none of you will be able to see it coming. It will only get worse if he’s not here.”

“There is one way to assure me of your intentions,” Kain said. “I find it interesting that you have not mentioned it.”

Archimedes licked his lips. “I don’t want Sarah to delve into my mind, but if that’s what it will take…” He stood up and offered his hand.

“What would have happened if you refused?” Sarah asked.

“He would take it as an admission of guilt,” Archimedes said.

Instead of taking Archimedes’ hand, Sarah gave Kain a look of disgust. “That’s as good as forcing him. There could be any number of reasons why he wants his privacy, even if it’s nothing specific. You also forget that he showed me his mind later.”

“Before you had the support of your Pillar,” Kain said.

Sarah bristled. “My dark gift was adequate and I actually did look for signs of deception.”

Hardegin stood. “And do you honestly believe that the rest of us are stupid?”

“I do not refute the claims that he has made against me; that I believe that he will betray us, and that I do take his refusal to have his mind read as a signal of guilt,” Kain said. “I am also concerned that the rest of you are not cautious enough.”

“You’re not the only one who was taken in by his predecessor, Kain,” Hardegin said. “The difference is that I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.”

“I met Moebius when he was first taken to the Citadel,” Finneas said. “Archimedes deserves more of a chance than what you’ve given him.”

Chixiksi piped up. “If he were up to something, your behavior would be playing right into his hands.”

“I think you’re on to something, States,” Lorica said.

“Am I the only one who actually trusts him?” Keturah asked.

“Trust is an amorphous concept with no real meaning,” Sarah said. “The point is that there has to be some way to stop Kain from ragging on Archimedes. Regardless of what he might do or intends to do, he hasn’t done anything.”

“I need some air,” Archimedes said as he left the room.

Tears streamed down his face. He knew that no one else trusted him, he knew that it wasn’t his fault, but it still hurt to hear it out loud. He sensed Keturah come up behind him and he let her take him into a hug. They weren’t peers in this moment, but rather a child and the woman who cared the most for him when his own mother abandoned him.

“If I tell you something terrible, will you keep it a secret?” Archimedes continued after Keturah nodded. “The only reason I didn’t want Sarah in my mind is because I hate her.”

“Is this because you hate surprises and you can’t see what she does before she does it?” Keturah asked.

“Mostly, but she’s also been kind to me and it doesn’t feel good to repay her with hate,” Archimedes said.

“You’ll have to ask her if she remembers the exact words you used, but when you traveled back to before your birth, you warned her that you wouldn’t like her,” Keturah said. “It’s not exactly a secret, but she didn’t want to create a loop.”

“Yes, it was right that I wasn’t told sooner,” Archimedes said. “But why was she nice to me? Was she trying to prevent the inevitable?”

Keturah frowned. “I never thought about it before. She seems nice, but the only people I’ve met who are nice to people who are known to hate them are religious. They forgive when they should get angry.”

The room was silent when Archimedes and Keturah returned.

Finneas said, “We thought that it would be unfair to keep talking while you weren’t here.”

Archimedes nodded his thanks. “I didn’t want Sarah in my mind because there was something that I didn’t want her to know, but I was just told that she knows already. I hate surprises and I cannot predict her actions, which means that I hate her. I knew that she would read my thoughts eventually, but I had hoped that I would be rid of these feelings before that happened. The question I have now is why were you still nice to me when you knew?”

Sarah was impassive. “That is the only reason you hate me, correct?” At his nod, she continued. “I decided not to take it personally. There’s nothing to gain by giving you other reasons on top of it. You said that it wasn’t my fault and I don’t blame you for feeling the way you do. We can simply stay out of each others’ way as much as possible and remain polite when we can’t.”

“This doesn’t worry you at all?” Kain asked.

Sarah said, “If he snaps, he’s probably going to go after you first and it would be your own damn fault.”

Finneas said, “I suggest following her example. Leave Archimedes alone unless speaking to him is necessary." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't over, but I'm going to try giving the other characters some attention.


	22. Chapter 22

Kain hated that instead of getting answers about what to do with Janos, he was distracted by his fellow Guardians taking issue with his behavior. It was true that he often forgot his manners, but he could see mounting evidence that Archimedes was hiding something. That the others were willing to ignore a clear threat was galling.

Kain considered if any of the Timestreamer’s advice should be heeded. The rest of the Circle was chosen with Archimedes’ advice, but all but himself and Keturah were people Kain would have chosen without his help. Keturah proved to be trustworthy now, as any other vempari had the potential to be, and their race deserved to be represented among the Guardians. The emerging problem was that Archimedes had answered the question of who Kain chose instead of volunteering information on how the choices were tolerable but not ideal.

The virus seemed to be working as anticipated. The scientists hadn’t stopped research on other solutions to the problem of the squid, so it wasn’t a question of distracting them with the wrong answer. Archimedes’ sight had been purified as a baby, so he was unlikely to fall under the spell of the false god. The problem was the collateral damage and whether that could become an advantage.

There was the matter of Archimedes wanting to help break Moebius. That seemed to have worked out, but Kain wondered if it was despite his involvement. That was a concern for another day and the only pressing matter was Janos.

Kain decided to ignore everything that Archimedes told him and focus on what he knew for himself. Nasser was Janos’ father, and the apostates claimed that someone named Nasser was the one who sent them forward. Nasser had come with the first wave of vemapri and then died; his body was still entombed in the Hylden village. Janos had a son. There was also a note from the past signed by Janos, claiming that he had taken his father’s place in history.

Kain frowned. He still had the note. Comparing the writing to Janos’ would prove that he wrote it, but what did that matter? Even if Kain believed that Janos would come back to their side, that didn’t solve the question of how. Kain had stopped trusting that the pull of History would still guide him.

There was only one thing to do. Kain decided to take action and hope that it was the right one. He approached where Janos was still being held. “I do want you to speak to the Wheel on my behalf, but I will not let you go without me.”

“I ask that you do not defile our place of worship, but there are still other places where I might be able to speak to him,” Janos said.

The grotto was one of the pools that Kain had poisoned nearly a decade ago. Where before the squid had seemed frustratingly resilient to the poison, now it looked sick. A large eyeball twitched between looking at Janos and Kain, seeming almost nervous.

Janos began a prayer of greeting, but he stopped. “I know that your intentions are not always clear, but it seemed reasonable to bring even those who are lost from your grace into your service.” He listened for a moment and said, “He will not answer your questions, Kain. He wants you to leave.”

Kain grabbed Janos and let the purification flow. Taking precautions against the vempari blinding himself seemed reasonable enough, and having his hands tied behind his back made him easier to hold onto.

Kain held Janos even after the purification was complete. “Open your eyes.”

A moment passed in stillness, and then the tentacles moved. Kain tossed Janos aside even though he hadn’t opened his eyes, and he swung the Soul Reaver in defense against the Elder God. The battle carried on for several minutes until Kain looked to where Janos had fallen, and saw that the vempari’s eyes were open in mute shock.

Kain realized that the attack had not begun with the tentacles trying to reach Janos, but now they were going after the vempari more than Kain. Kain grabbed Janos and teleported them both away.

“Did you see?” Kain asked.

Janos did not answer, nor did he look at Kain. He seemed to have gone completely insensate. 

It was ten days later when Kain received word that Janos was awake and demanding to see him.

“The rest need to have the ability to see it,” Janos said. “Some may choose not to look, but at least they will be out of that thing’s grasp.”

Kain noted the disarray of the room and Janos’ bedraggled appearance. Even though Janos was mortal now, Kain remembered the last time the vemapri lost his temper, and was understandably wary. “I’m glad to see that you are well.”

Janos laughed. “Better, perhaps, but not fully recovered.” His fangs had remained even after he was cured of the bloodthirst, he’d declined an offer to have them painlessly blunted, but one was broken and it contributed to an appearance of derangement. “I was fooled again even after I was warned.”

“Do you think it is possible for the parasite to maintain its hold on someone even after they have seen it?” Kain asked.

“It would be arrogant of me to say no, but I doubt that you’ll find someone like that among the worshippers that I know.” Janos paused in thought. “I could give you a more concrete answer after conferring with Ozker, perhaps other apostates…”

“Do you anticipate any problems with me purifying any worshippers that I can get to and then leaving them to their own devices?” Kain asked. “This will probably come with an attack on your village.”

What Janos said next was something that Kain could only grasp as an emphatic “Are you making joke?” For someone who had a proper understanding of the language, it was closer to a deadpan “Are you shitting me?” When Kain didn’t react, Janos composed himself and said, “That is probably the worst way to go about it. I would like some time to think of a better way.”


	23. Chapter 23

Janos still hadn’t gotten used to the idea that vempari and Hylden were working together, or that he was on their side. As much as he had put Ozker down for being a heretic, now he was one as well. Janos watched from a distance as the squid-worshippers in the village were rounded up. 

The leaden sky contributed to an appropriate mood, though the threat of rain meant that most of the vampires were held in reserve instead of participating in the relatively bloodless battle. Janos realized that the village had only lasted this long because Kain tolerated their existence for some reason.

“Stray,” Janos sent, and his assistance was relayed. He did not care which clan the bestial vampire was from, but it quickly caught up to the fleeing human. He couldn’t tell who she was, but he was afraid that she would hurt herself by trying to beat against the creature’s hide. He felt sick, but this was something that had to be done.

Soon enough, everyone was gathered. Janos took a deep breath and flew down to address them. 

“I had led you to the Wheel and guided you into accepting his grace. I now know that this was wrong,” Janos said. “The ability to see him is exactly that. There is no pretender, no illusion, no inherent corruption. He does not want anyone to be able to see him because he has lied to us.”

The square was silent except for one voice wailing. Janos knew who it was and ignored the child. “The question I had for him was why he wasn’t willing to use the unfaithful against the pretender. Instead of answering, he berated me for doubting him. I had my eyes closed as I received the ability to see him, and his voice grew angrier in the moments before I decided to look.”

Janos listened again, and this time the silence was unbroken. “The ability to see him will be forced upon you today. What you decide to do after that is up to you. Some of you may choose to look at him, some may choose to never enter the temple again. The apostates are willing to speak with anyone who needs advice.”

Janos watched as everyone was blessed and then released. Vempari went first and they tried to resist, but the humans mostly seemed to accept it. It made sense given how the adults joined the religion as teenagers at the earliest, so being part of it was not ingrained. There was only one human who truly looked upset.

Janos approached and he hesitated as he recognized the person. She was the wailing child’s mother, and the child was not anywhere that Janos could see.

“A green-eyed vampire took Fred,” the father said.

It was several hours before Sarah returned to the village. Janos bristled at her. “These people told me that you took their son.”

“Yes, and I’m disinclined to give him back,” Sarah said. “This man was hitting him.”

“You didn’t kill the boy?” Janos asked.

“Why would I do that?” Sarah asked. “Sorry, dumb question. He’s perfectly safe.”

“Fred has always been difficult, and a father has the right to punish his child when he misbehaves,” Janos said.

Sarah asked, “Have you even met the boy, Janos?”

“I’ve been aware of his problem for the last five or six years,” Janos said. “Everyone here has had to tolerate his howling.”

“Did it occur to any of you that there’s something wrong with him and he can’t help it? You should have asked the Circle for help,” Sarah said.

“Can something be done for him?” the mother asked.

“I can’t make him normal, but we’ll try to figure out if there’s a way to improve his situation,” Sarah said. “It’s too soon to say what’s possible.”

The father left, but Janos stayed behind as the women discussed the boy’s life. It wasn’t that he was particularly interested in their conversation, but rather that he felt that he should act as chaperone.

“Why do you want to know the recipes for his favorite foods?” Idony asked.

“Part of it is gathering all possible clues to what’s wrong with him, but this may also take a while,” Sarah said.

Tears fell from Idony’s eyes. “I am grateful that there is hope. If you can help him, I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

“It’s alright. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t try,” Sarah said.

Janos walked with Sarah to the edge of the village. “What did you mean that you couldn’t live with yourself? Was that meant to be a jab at how I did nothing?”

“I am wondering if you were trying to ignore the problem or if you honestly didn’t think about having the Guardian of the Mind Pillar take a look at him,” Sarah said.

Janos sighed. “I believed that parasite. He said that nothing could be done.”

“Okay, so honest mistake. Hopefully this wasn’t a rare case of it telling the truth,” Sarah said. “I was fibbing about not being able to live with myself to make her feel better about the charity. I might have felt bad for a while, but I probably would have gotten over it.”

“You’re still going to help him, aren’t you?” Janos asked.

“I’m not that type of monster,” Sarah said. “I’m just worried that I got Idony’s hopes up for nothing.”

“What type of monster are you then?” Janos asked. “You seem to have a strong conscience.”

“The kind that chose to kill people because I didn’t want to die. In my case it was pure selfishness and I’m not even going to try making excuses,” Sarah said. “I knew what I was asking for and I’m grateful that you gave it to me.”

“You had every right to be afraid.” Janos rubbed his arms. “I came so close to letting you die despite your begging, and I would have thought I was doing the right thing.”

“If it makes you feel any better… You know how necromantic vampires are made, right?” Sarah asked. “Before I got sick, Raziel managed to bind my soul to my body without either of us realizing it. If you had let me die, you would have had to deal with a very angry Razielim. From what I’ve heard, necromantic fledglings can do some damage if they haven’t had time to rot a bit.”

Janos winced. “Perhaps it would have been better if I wasn’t your sire. I was too distracted to take proper care of you.”

“Despite the downsides, I like being a hybrid. And I was taken care of. In that time, it was actually seen as pretty normal for juveniles to do most of the work, or for fledglings to be outright given to other vampires,” Sarah said. “Raziel wouldn’t have given it a second thought if I were just his.”

“Catullus hates me,” Janos said. “I thought that perhaps you fed his anger out of a feeling of neglect.”

Sarah yelped in pain and then muttered a word that meant ‘wings flaring involuntarily due to strong emotion’ before unfolding them under her cloak. “You don’t get to blame anyone else for that. You being a deadbeat really hurt him.”


	24. Chapter 24

Though Janos had asked for advice on Catullus, Sarah insisted that dealing with Fred was more pressing. It was several days before she returned, and Sarah decided to talk to Fred’s parents first.

“This will be difficult,” Sarah said. “We don’t have an explanation for why this happened. We have some ideas that might improve his quality of life, but it is too soon to tell whether they are the right things. We won’t do anything that might harm Fred, but we want to exhaust all ideas.”

“How long?” Idony asked.

“Months, maybe years,” Sarah said. “I’ll make arrangements if you want to see him next week.”

“Let them take as long as they want,” Fred’s father said. “We’re better off without him.”

Idony bit her lip. “Do what you think is best.”

As Janos led Sarah to his own hut, he said, “You’re agitated.”

What Janos was referring to was how Sarah had kept her wings tightly folded to her back to keep them from twitching. Now she was rubbing her spars together.

“ᚾᛟ ᛋᚺᛁᛏ ᚲᚨᛈᛏᚨᛁᚾ ᛟᛒᚹᛁᛟᚢᛋ” Sarah spat. “If you don’t keep that man away from me, I will bite him.”

“I don’t think you understand what Fred’s parents have been through,” Janos said.

“What about Fred?” Sarah asked. “Nevermind. You have fair warning about the limits of my restraint. I know that you’d rather talk about another little boy.”

“Do you know how I can get Catullus to stop hating me?” Janos asked.

“Slow down. You don’t get to dance into his life and expect him to call you daddy,” Sarah said. “For one thing, you never tried to see him when he was younger.”

Janos recoiled. “I…” He swallowed. “Would I have been allowed to?”

“Being able to truthfully tell him that you were making an effort would have helped, and I think that some sort of arrangement could have been made,” Sarah said. “Also, until the Apostates arrived, he had only met two people that look like him.”

“There would have been problems if he tried to meet with any of the faithful,” Janos said.

“Whether you could have done anything or not, I want you to understand everything,” Sarah said. “The Apostates started filling that hole, but Catullus doesn’t speak the language well despite our efforts. He also likes Ozker.”

Janos growled. “Ozker is everything I am not.”

“You have more in common than you seem willing to admit,” Sarah said. “I think you should spend some time working out your differences with Ozker for your own sake.”

“Catullus isn’t interested in becoming Hylden, is he?” Janos asked.

“He’s more likely to realize that it’s nonsense,” Sarah said. “There’s another problem right now. Archimedes was abandoned by his mother, and is practically a brother to Catullus, but the Time Guardian just had a major personality change. He’s now got the mind of an adult even though he still looks like a child. Catullus needs time to mourn.”

“Does he have any other friends?” Janos asked.

“Humans are horrible at that age,” Sarah said. “One kid deserved it when I made him wet his pants.”

“It sounds like Catullus has struggled so much. He shouldn’t be alone,” Janos said.

“At least he wasn’t the only one with an absent parent. I know that it feels better when others have been through the same thing,” Sarah said. “Divorce is normal where I come from.”

“Could that have affected what you said to him?” Janos asked.

“I tried to paint you in a favorable light. You have the worst flaws, but I was very vague about most of them. You should really work on fixing those flaws before you disappoint him,” Sarah said. “I only saw my dad once or twice a year, which was a good thing at first because it took a while before I figured out that he wasn’t a good person. I was so happy when I was allowed to stop visiting him.”

“If Catullus never wants to see me…”

“I’ll tell him that he might regret not talking to you at least once, but it won’t do any good to force him,” Sarah said.

That night, Janos couldn’t sleep because a question was plaguing his mind. He dressed and flew to the Pillars.

There was a system in place for people to petition the Circle for help. A message was given to a guard outside of the walls surrounding the Pillars, and then later the petitioner would be given a message with either an answer or an appointment at the Circle’s convenience. Janos had sired two Guardians, but he didn’t want to abuse that status by not following protocol.

“What’s your name?” the Dumahim growled.

“I am Janos Audron.”

“The Timestreamer will meet with you now.” The Dumahim opened the door and gestured for Janos to go through. 

A Melchiahim then led Janos to a small room with two chairs, one of which was occupied by Archimedes.

Archimedes gestured to the other chair. “What can I do for you?”

“I know that you sent me back in time to send other Vempari forward,” Janos said. “Why are none of them the same age as Catullus?”

“There will be, soon, but solving a problem in a way that prevents it from happening in the first place is complicated,” Archimedes said. “By the time you leave, I will have spent great consideration on the instructions I will give you. Make your arguments and let me convince you to follow them exactly.”

If what I will do has already been done…” He trailed off and frowned in confusion. 

“You’re not capable of causing significant damage to what has already happened, but you might manage a small change,” Archimedes said.

Janos spent a moment in thought. “Something is not right about that. Could you not foresee a problem even if it was prevented?” Janos asked.

“I could see the smaller problem if I bothered to look for it.” Archimedes paused and an expression of pain crossed his face. “There are simply other consequences to consider.”

“I don’t understand,” Janos said.

“Catullus is the last person that I would want to give such a burden to, but he’s enough like you that he would do it if given a choice,” Archimedes said. “The worst part is almost over for him, but because of what he’s been through, he can help to prevent a war like the one you were born into. I will explain it to him in greater detail someday.”

“Is there anything that could have been done to make it easier?” Janos asked. “What if I changed the note; ask Kain to force me into seeing Catullus when he was younger?”

Archimedes shook his head. “That wouldn’t have made much difference. You’re slightly better off with the way things happened. There are some things that I can do for Catullus if he’ll let me.”


	25. Chapter 25

“I hate to be asking you for a favor so soon after admitting my feelings about you,” Archimedes said.

“I don’t mind.” Sarah sat on the balcony railing, letting her legs dangle over the sheer drop. “Obviously it’s important.”

Archimedes sighed. “It’s… I need for Kain to be less avisva. He’ll keep asking me for advice and then refuse to believe anything that I tell him. It’s only a matter of time before it causes a disaster and the only way to delay that would be to try outmaneuvering him. He seems to trust you.”

Sarah frowned. Avisva was a word that meant the same thing in Hylden and vempari, and while it could be translated simply as mistrust, the connotation was more akin to the difference between dislike and murderous hatred.

“It’s a trust that was built over centuries, and I spent much of that time living for what he wanted with very little regard for my own interests,” Sarah said.

“I’m trying to help Kain with his goals. Kill the squid, heal the world… He might never realize that preventing another interracial war is something he should want, but you’ve already started working on that,” Archimedes said. “It’s just that some of the things that Kain will want in the short term might interfere with what he wants in the long term.”

“What happens if you explain that?” Sarah asked.

Archimedes shook his head. “He won’t tolerate it. I can see his path more clearly than he ever could, but he’ll resist my advice even when he asks me to show him the way, and outright refuse if I offer to guide his steps. Keeping him ignorant of important missteps is the best way to ensure that he makes them.”

“You do realize how much that contributes to him being annoyed with you,” Sarah said.

“Unless he accepts that our objectives are not so different, it’s the best I can come up with,” Archimedes said. “I wouldn’t mind him hating me if he were civil about it.”

“Were you doing that on purpose?” Sarah read the confusion on Archimedes’ face and continued. “You just gave me an idea. There’s someone who’s known Kain longer than I have, and he might be willing to give you some advice.”

They spent some time talking about Sarah’s plan before coming back to the beginning. 

“I don’t see why we don’t just do it and hope he never finds out,” Archimedes said.

“Forgiveness can be easier than permission, but we don’t actually need permission. This is just warning him so he doesn’t get any funny ideas,” Sarah said. “Just don’t say anything if you can help it and nod at the right moments. This is my idea and I don’t want you getting any more consequence on you than you have to. Will you be able to forsee if Kain decides to get violent?”

“It takes some effort to predict someone when they’re talking to you, but I can get a general idea of what they will do,” Archimedes said. “I’m not sure if I can give you any warning.”

Sarah shook her head. “Just run. Part of the advantage to being a necromantic vampire is that even Kain has to put some effort into killing me permanently.”

Kain was willing to see them shortly after Sarah asked for a meeting. He was sitting at his desk and staring into a glass jug that was full of squid. “You may speak freely. It’s impossible to keep secrets from this thing.”

The squid said, “Kain wet the bed until he was nine.”

Sarah began laughing. “That is about the most ridiculous thing it could have said.”

“Perhaps I should have you handle the interrogation,” Kain said. “Why did you want to see me?”

“Well we’re planning a little trip and I figured that you would want to know about it,” Sarah said.

“Where and when?” Kain asked.

“Zuletat, 2341. I’m going to double-check when I was in the state of change to make sure I don’t run into myself,” Sarah said.

Kain pulled a journal out of his pocket-dimension and thumbed through it. “I was off the island on the eleventh and twelfth days of Quintilis. Leave your binding tokens with another member of the Circle. I don’t want to have to go looking for them if you manage to kill each other.”

“Will do,” Sarah said.

After they left, Archimedes said, “That’s what I want. You didn’t have to justify yourself at all.”

“He’s up to something… or cracking,” Sarah said. “Whatever it is, I don’t like it. When we get back, can you help me keep an eye on him?”

“I’m sorry, but there are a lot of things that I need to pay attention to. If there is a problem, you’re more likely to catch it than I am,” Archimedes said. “I’ll even give you a lesson in using my time windows.”

“Reasonable,” Sarah said.

There were preparations to make, but soon enough they were in the past. Archimedes did not like that he had only a shadow of his powers in this time, but he was also grateful. He was barely aware of what Sarah was doing to the fabric of time just by existing in this period, and he was sure that Moebius would find it unbearable.

With Sarah staying behind to guard his back, Archimedes made his way down the dark tunnel. His flashlight barely penetrated the gloom, and he stumbled every few steps. He could hear the scraping of heavy stones being moved.

When he thought he had gotten close enough, Archimedes tried to swallow against the dryness of his mouth and said, “I’ve come to ask you for some advice.”

There was a dull crash, and a ghostly blue light appeared. The figure strode toward him, features illuminated from the side.

“But if you’re busy, I’ll just leave you to it.” Archimedes tripped as he stepped backwards, and he began to whimper as the figure crouched over him. His heart thudded and he could barely breathe.

“He doesn’t bite,” Sarah said.

Raziel turned to look at Sarah, and his eyebrows knit into a frown. “Your hands…”

“We came from the future,” Sarah said. “Raziel, meet Archimedes, the Time Guardian.”

Raziel stood. “You named him after the owl?”


	26. Chapter 26

Raziel listened patiently while Archimedes explained his problems and provided the context for them. He spent the most time on the constant threats of violence, the badgering and mistrust, and how all of that contributed to the need to be dishonest. Raziel criticized Archimedes for lying, but Archimedes explained how Kain being deceitful about Raziel’s destiny was necessary. Sarah then prompted Archimedes to remind Raziel of the Matrix Oracle.

“I don’t think you would have been able to gain Kain’s trust even if you could have been completely honest from the beginning,” Raziel said. “What you need is his respect. Don’t let him push you around.”

Archimedes found it the opposite of funny, but something like laughter forced itself out of him. “We’re not supposed to use our magic against each other, so I’m almost helpless except for my ability to avoid fights. I even had to break that rule to keep Kain from shaking me.”

At Raziel’s look of disgust, Sarah volunteered, “You know that my predecessor was able to do worse than destroy the Circle single-handedly. We’re just trying to make the best of it when the Pillars were badly-designed from the start. Archimedes isn’t in trouble for what he did; we just don’t have a firm boundary that works and he exposed a flaw in where we wanted to put it.”

“Even if you allowed me to use my powers offensively, I wouldn’t,” Archimedes said.

“What if you went somewhere until you come of age?” Raziel asked. “I imagine that your human frailty makes things even more difficult.”

Archimedes shook his head. “I would like to, but there would be consequences. I’m not sure if I could live with some of them.”

“You don’t know?” Raziel asked.

“Your circular destiny had a stabilizing effect on the timeline. I can see possibilities and generalizations, but there’s nothing coming that is important enough that it can’t be prevented,” Archimedes said. “I tried to create loops, but they’re easily broken.”

Raziel sighed. “You are right to fear Kain. But as long as you are afraid, he will be able to use that against you.”

Archimedes thought for a moment. “That is actually helpful. It’s not so much the possibility of dying, but the other consequences. I’ll have failed in so many ways. Even being afraid of pain has held me back.”

Sarah frowned. “If Kain actually lays a hand on you…”

“My injuries would be the least of your concerns,” Archimedes said. “Carponus e donadi; the way vempari look at their lives makes me feel better about some of the choices I have to make.”

Raziel narrowed his eyes. “I haven’t talked to Ozker as much as I should have, but is Janos a typical example?”

Sarah said, “Vempari who get to those extremes are remembered as tragic heroes. Janos got so badly broken that it’s a wonder he’s still going.”

“I feel the weight of my burdens and finding peace with it is the only thing I can do… other than neglect my duties and I don’t want to do that,” Archimedes said. “Ironically, this outlook might even save my life.”

Raziel growled. “Sarah, do you trust him?”

“About as far as I can throw him,” Sarah said. “Which is pretty rotten on my part because he is serious about the duty and selflessness stuff.”

“I’m embarrassed by my predecessor and the other human Guardians,” Archimedes said. “I might not be as good as a vempari but I can do my best.”

“This doesn’t sit right with me,” Raziel said. “Your life is a nightmare and you’re content with that?”

“It’s not easy, but parts of it can be satisfying,” Archimedes said. “Most of the problem is with Kain. The work would go much smoother if I wasn’t being questioned all of the time.”

“I don’t think I can become directly involved,” Raziel said. “Not only would you have to convince me to vouch for you, but I doubt that it would hold any weight given my reputation for being deceived.”

Archimedes shook his head. “I am grateful for the advice you’ve given me. Would you like me to try to find an opportunity to go out of my way for one of your descendants?”

“Just try to keep the world from needing saving again,” Raziel said.

“I already owe you that much,” Archimedes said.

The Weirstein timestreaming chamber was carpeted in dust. Archimedes sneezed and said, “I think that was worth the trip. I have a good feeling about his advice, and I actually got to meet him.”

“Are you awestruck?” Sarah joked.

Archimedes turned to smile at her and froze. The long end of a spear was protruding from Sarah’s chest, and she fell over to reveal Moebius. 

The old man scowled at Archimedes, but then his expression softened to a concerned frown. Moebius bent down and grabbed Sarah’s talon to get a closer look before grimacing in disgust and standing again. “Of course he turned this abomination into a vampire and of course I would get the wrong one. I should have taken a closer look at the footprints.”

Archimedes just glared at his predecessor. He knew that he was at a severe disadvantage with his muted powers. He had felt Sarah’s blinding effect fade as she died, and he knew that his life was like an open book to the other Timestreamer.

“They have treated you so cruelly, made you hate that you’re human, but I can help you,” Moebius said. “You don’t have to submit to them. I can teach you how to reach your true potential.”

Archimedes fought to remain calm. He couldn’t save-scum this conversation, but being around Sarah had given him practice in getting it right the first time. Would Moebius expect him to try a deception? “I won’t be in trouble if I bring her back staked and blame it on a Sarafan.”

Moebius gave a sad smile. “Tell them that they cleansed her with fire. You can be free of her.”

“I have plans for her.” Archimedes noticed Moebius take on an expression between thoughtfulness and confusion and wondered if it was real.

“What use could she possibly be?” Moebius asked.

Archimedes considered laying out the parts of his plan that Moebius would probably find amusing, but then he got a better idea. He chuckled. “She gives you a headache, doesn’t she?”

“Don’t be coy,” Moebius growled.

Archimedes felt he was doing well, but he knew better than to get cocky. “I know her. She is still clinging to her humanity, among other useful failings.”

Moebius’ nostrils flared. “An unpredictable puppet is a challenge, but it can be done.”

Archimedes smiled. “I know.”


	27. Chapter 27

Sarah woke up hissing. She wasn’t aware of where she was, just that she was pissed. Strong arms grabbed her and she bit the wrist that was shoved in her face. She regained enough of her senses to realize that her wings were bound to her back with bandages. She wondered why until she remembered that she was hiding them from Raziel because he hadn’t known then that he was her second sire.

Ozker asked, “Want me to free your wings?” and Sarah released his wrist to nod.

Sarah noticed that she was lying on the floor of a timestreaming chamber. Nearby, Keturah was holding Archimedes. Once Sarah changed shirts she asked, “What killed me?”

“My predecessor,” Archimedes said. “I was alone with him. I want you to read my mind and don’t let me hide anything from you.”

Sarah frowned. “If you’re scared that we’re going to do anything because of that…”

“Just do it. I want to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he didn’t get to me,” Archimedes said. “I need to know if he got to me.”

After taking her binding token back from Keturah, Sarah entered Archimedes’ mind, and he offered the memories. Each moment was like a crystal bead strung on a rosary. He pinched a few of the beads. “The connections on these… I’m sorry, they might be hard to look at.”

‘I have plans for her’ Was connected to a jumble that Sarah couldn’t quite make sense of, but the emotions were a mixture of bitter and hopeful. ‘She is still clinging to her humanity’ had a similar feeling, but sweeter with an odd note, and a definite connection to preventing an interracial war. ‘Other useful failings’ was connected to the concept of selflessness, the sturdiness of her fake conscience, and even how her unpredictability had trained him to not rely on the powers that had all but failed him. There were negative emotions in the mix, but they weren’t something that Sarah was concerned about. 

“Nice paltering, and I’m flattered that you implied that I was your version of Raziel,” Sarah said.

“Suddenly I realize why Raziel got suspicious,” Archimedes said. “You can’t have missed that I’m planning to use you. It’s creepy that you’re not angry.”

“Well, tell me something that should upset me,” Sarah said.

“You have the easy part,” Archimedes said. “I actually had to hurt Catullus to prepare him.”

Sarah made a plucking motion and held a new bead up to the light. “That does look heartless out of context, but you weren’t much happier even then. A band of people caught between races. Will it work?”

“That’s the frustrating part,” Archimedes said. “I won’t know if I needed to do that until it’s too late.”

Sarah began sorting through his memories again and sucked air through her teeth. ‘They have treated you so cruelly, made you hate that you’re human, but I can help you. You don’t have to submit to them.’ “I can see why you’re worried; those were some nasty hooks. You resisted, but…”

“Keep digging. I don’t care what you see, just…” Archimedes grimaced. “I hate him.”

“I don’t think that any of us wanted you to hate yourself,” Sarah said. “It’s smudging along your similarities.”

“When I talked to him, parts of it was like a dance,” Archimedes said. “I’m so confused. I almost started to enjoy it and then he would say something that reminded me why I hate him.”

Sarah handed him one of her own memories. “It should have been fun.”

The memory was patchy and the voices were distorted, but Archimedes could make out a group of people sharing a conversation over a meal. He couldn’t identify the emotion, but it was warm, and similar to what he felt underneath the hatred for his predecessor. There was one person not laughing when everyone else did, and then he stood up and shouted, “What is wrong with you people?” Archimedes then remembered jokes about how murder investigators became so desensitized that they could talk about the horrors they saw while eating spaghetti.

Sarah broke the connection as she felt a tsunami of emotions welling up inside Archimedes. He was being overwhelmed by loneliness and desire.

“Greedy old bastard!” Archimedes yelled. “Why did he have to live so long?”

Ozker slammed Sarah against the wall and she said, “I wasn’t trying to hurt him. Just let him cry it out.”

A moment later, Kain whispered to Sarah, “What happened to the Timestreamer? He’s drawing more magic than usual.”

Sarah chanced a look into Archimedes’ mind and was overwhelmed by the imagery. She told Kain, “He’s upset and I can’t just snap my fingers to make it go away. I’m doing what I can for the moment, just let me handle it.”

As Balance Guardian, Kain managed how magic flowed through each Pillar. Usually the load was somewhat equal, but there had been occasions where one or two Guardians needed far more than their fair share. Sarah felt an increase in available magic as Kain diverted it away from the Pillar of Time.

Archimedes seemed not to notice that he had less magic available, and the images didn’t slow.

Sarah told Keturah and Ozker, “If you care about Archimedes, you will let me be the one to tell the others about him talking to Moebius. I still need to do some digging.”

Ozker replied, “Chixiksi knows, but I don’t think he told anyone else.”

Sarah could still look at the memories that Archimedes gave her, she just needed access to his mind to find connections and context, which would have to wait until he calmed down.


	28. Chapter 28

Archimedes had relaxed slightly once he sent her to the future and was completely alone with his predecessor.

“You said that you would tell me what the other pest would do,” Moebius said.

Archimedes considered reminding him of the exact wording, ‘I can tell you’ but there was no reason to tip his hand that far. “As far as I can remember, she doesn’t actually do much. Chaos in the Eternal Prison and two Hylden escaping, they don’t cause anything other than an island becoming uninhabitable. Some unimportant people will be moved around… Kain decided that he didn’t want her messing with his personal history any more than she had already.”

“There weren’t two Hylden in the Eternal Prison,” Moebius said, “and you forgot to mention that some vampires managed to escape the genocide.”

“Sorry, one Hylden and a delusional bluebird,” Archimedes said. “It drove Kain nuts that you didn’t put up any resistance when he sent the vampires forward.”

Archimedes recognized the expression on Moebius’ face. The old man was looking somewhen else. He would have had trouble seeing Sarah’s friends from Zuletat, even the date of departure unless he connected the dots with the island blowing up. It was most likely that he deduced the escaped vampires by seeing that there were old-world vampires in the future. Archimedes recognized his mistake when he remembered that Ozker could have passed the curse on as well if he had wanted to.

“Given the choice between a futile effort and annoying Kain, the latter does have some appeal,” Moebius said. “I’m sorry that it leaves a mess for you to clean up.”

“Different types of vampires do not get along very well,” Archimedes said.

Moebius laughed. “I was so worried when I first saw you, but they didn’t come as close to breaking you as it looks. You’re even decent enough at this that you scored two points against me.”

Archimedes twitched in anger at Moebius keeping score like it was some kind of game. He covered it up by asking, “And how many points do you have?”

“Seven,” Moebius said. “Don’t feel bad. I’ve had much more practice and there’s a few tricks that you don’t seem to know.”

Archimedes realized that even though he was making mistakes, Moebius was also trying to rattle him. He decided to file away the score for later in case the old bastard really did think he had seven points to his two, but it would only distract him now. All Archimedes really cared about was the final result, which was hopefully to convince his predecessor that he didn’t need to meddle. 

Archimedes listened patiently to Moebius’ lesson on how to be a better timestreamer. As he suspected, his predecessor relied heavily on charlatanism to seem more powerful. Some of the examples given as demonstration proved the old man’s mean-spirited nature, and Archimedes forced himself to chuckle even as it made him sick.

“The best part is the look on their face when they realize that I’ve tricked them,” Moebius said.

“I prefer to set up an I-told-you-so,” Archimedes said. “I entered the game in hard-mode and I haven’t gotten the hang of getting people to believe me. So I tell them the truth and watch as they try to avoid a snare.”

“That’s brilliant,” Moebius said.

Archimedes ducked his head as he remembered just who had complimented him. He hoped it would come off as hiding a blush, but he was fighting the bile that was rising in his throat. Worse than realizing that he had slipped and started treating it like a conversation rather a duel, he actually did feel satisfaction when someone paid the price for not following his advice.

“I admit that I can’t think of how you’re going to escape that horrible curse,” Moebius said. “You have no allies in the Circle.”

“So it’s murky for you too?” Archimedes asked. “You’re wrong about the lack of allies and my plan is incredible. They’re not going to turn me.”

Moebius looked skeptical. “If there’s anything that I can do to help, just drop by when it’s convenient.”

“The best thing you can do is what you were going to do anyway,” Archimedes said. “Some of the finicky bits rely on Kain being paranoid, but not too much.”

Sarah emerged from examining the memory and rubbed her eyes. She doubted that things were going to be okay. She had been left alone in the timestreaming chamber as Keturah and Ozker took Archimedes elsewhere.


	29. Chapter 29

Before Archimedes assumed his Guardianship, he had lived with Keturah and Catullus in what used to be Ash Village. These days Keturah’s main home was in Carthage with the Apostates, and that’s where Catullus was at the moment, but Archimedes had decided to live in their old apartment.

Archimedes was currently unconscious on a couch, and Keturah was watching him sleep. Archimedes groaned and curled into a ball. “Call Sarah, it can’t wait.”

“Everyone knows that you started drawing a lot of power, but that’s all they know. They’re worried,” Keturah said. “What were you doing?”

Despite Keturah arguing, Sarah appeared.

Archimedes sighed. “I’m sorry. I was looking at what would happen if I had my predecessor assassinated. At least I don’t have the ability to do it myself. Finish what you started, Sarah.” He tried to sit up, but he whimpered and went limp.

“I will have to, but I made a mistake,” Sarah said. “Let’s try talking a bit so I don’t go poking at a bad spot again.”

“It was the right thing in the wrong moment,” Archimedes said. “I ache all over, but before I didn’t even know I was hurting.”

“Does that fancy bathtub still work? You might feel better after a soak.” Sarah winced and broadcast to the Circle. “Kain, if you don’t stop bugging me, I will steal one of Malek’s sweaty jockstraps and stuff it up your nose. I told you I’ve got this.”

“You dare‽” Kain telepathically sent.

“I’m busy. We’ll settle up later,” Sarah sent.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Archimedes said. “I don’t want to be a problem.”

Sarah combed her talons into the hair along Archimedes’ scalp. “Some of the finicky bits rely on Kain being paranoid, but not too much.” She closed her eyes as she searched his mind. “Kain is the problem and none of us can keep going on like this. Archimedes is trying to delay it, maybe find a way to stop it, but there will be a reckoning eventually and we may have to remove Kain.”

“Are you sure?” Keturah asked.

Sarah sighed. “Not enough to move on it. I can’t understand everything that Archimedes sees, but the feeling of doom is clear.”

“I didn’t want to be the catalyst.” Tears ran down Archimedes’ face. “If he hadn’t bullied me, this could have gone on for decades, maybe centuries.”

“Would it really have taken that long for us to get fed up with his plumidatik?” Keturah asked.

“I put up with him for centuries,” Sarah said.

Bathing was a social activity among vempari, and Archimedes was deep enough into the culture that he didn’t mind his fellow Guardians joining him. Sarah sat as far from the water as possible and gently sifted through Archimedes’ mind.

“Some of the things you said to Moebius are cause for concern, but I can see that most of it was an act. He’s supposed to be really skilled, so I don’t know if you actually managed to play the player,” Sarah said.

“Most of it?” Archimedes asked.

“You had been unsure before, but somewhere in talking to him, you decided that you would rather die than submit to the curse,” Sarah said.

“I thought that the old snake had gotten it wrong when he said that you made me hate that I was human. I love being mortal. Baths, sunlight, eating… I still would have given that up.” Archimedes sat up and brushed his hair back. “The problem is that I haven’t met a vampire who held onto their sense of conscience. If I’m going to keep playing god, I want to feel like I’ve been kicked in the stomach every time someone gets hurt because of my decisions.”

Keturah frowned. “But Sarah...”

“I’ve eaten people and I have no remorse about it,” Sarah said. “Then again, I think I was born without a conscience. Any time I’m being good, it’s because I consciously decided to be. If you want me to prove it, just say so. I’ll buy a criminal and torture him to death.”

“Janos never talked about what it was like to be cursed,” Keturah said.

“A day after we met, he fed in front of me and didn’t seem to realize that it might upset me,” Sarah said.

“There must be another way,” Keturah said.

“The guy who says ‘humans are incompetent to serve’ also happens to be a bigot. The problems started when they tried to force the curse on the Guardians… and the leader of the rebellion was a squid-worshipper,” Sarah said. “Sure there were some bad apples, but if we’re keeping score, I’d say that rabbits are worse than demons.”

Keturah’s feathers bristled.

Archimedes had climbed out of the pool and paused in drying himself off. “Rabbits?”

“She was going to summon a bunch of live rabbits from Earth and set them loose. With good intentions. Fortunately she started with kangaroo and we noticed right away,” Sarah said.

Archimedes stared at Keturah. “I remember the storm Finneas caused, but that would have been worse. Do you understand why it was a bad idea?”

“Sarah’s explanation was a little incoherent, but there was a lot of cussing and I was afraid for my life,” Keturah said. “The important thing is that I have since checked with her first.”

“I think we should wait a bit before suggesting that the bloodcurse isn’t necessary,” Sarah said. “I’m sure that someone else is going to have a notable screw-up.”

Archimedes shook his head. “No, I think that everyone has learned to be more careful, but I do agree on waiting for that topic. As for me drawing too much magic… I’m tired, but I’ll sleep better once explanations have been made.”

“Any idea how it will go?” Sarah asked.

“Not specifically. There were similar possibilities and most of them were…” Archimedes cringed. “It will take some very careful moves for this to go well.”

“You didn’t want to be the catalyst, and I’m the one who decided to insult Kain,” Sarah said. “I’ve been tempted to call him a whiny pissbaby, but after what the squid said that’s going a bit too far.”

“He’ll kill you,” Archimedes said.

“Are you sure of that?” Sarah asked. “If he does decide to kill me, it might be permanent, so it’s been nice knowing you.” Sarah paused in thought. “Oh, if I do die, what’s needed to make sure the rest of the Circle knows that this isn’t Archimedes’ fault?”

“I’ll vouch for him,” Keturah said.

“Not enough,” Archimedes said. “If I write it down and Sarah confirms that it’s the truth in front of more witnesses, then it might work.”

Sarah frowned and broadcast to the Circle, “It is under control, but I told you to quit bugging me. This is delicate work.”

“Don’t insult him again yet,” Archimedes said. “We’re headed for the worst scenario.”

“He wants an explanation right now. I’ll be right back with something worse than Malek’s jockstrap,” Sarah said.


	30. Chapter 30

Raziel crept through the alleys of Uschtenheim. He had received a whisper from Sarah to meet him here without telling his housemates that he was going. He heard “Reach for the sky with both claws, I’ll carry you to a cliff.”

Once face to face, Sarah stretched her wings and said, “You’re heavier than you look.”

“What is this about?” Raziel asked.

“I hate to drag you into saving the world again when you’re… beyond caring, but it might help if you got involved,” Sarah said. “We’ll probably be fine if you say no.”

Raziel’s eyes narrowed. “What is it this time?”

“The less you know, the better, but…” Sarah yelped as Raziel grabbed her. “Hear me out, please. Like I said, you can say no.”

Raziel released her. “You mentioned that Archimedes was your advisor. What changed to make you trust him?”

“When did I say that?” Sarah asked.

“When you returned the Reaver so that William could have it,” Raziel said.

“That hasn’t happened for me yet. It’s only been… maybe a few hours? How could so much happen in less than a day?” Sarah huffed. “We just got back from asking you for advice. He didn’t even have time to use it yet, but I did. If the loop where I talked to you is stable, then that means we both survive what’s coming. Did I mention anything about Kain?”

“You said that Kain almost trusts the Timestreamer. You didn’t refer to Archimedes by name,” Raziel said.

“Dammit,” Sarah said. “As far as trusting Archimedes, I’ve just been combing very thoroughly through his mind. He genuinely wants what’s best. I don’t have his talent for being able to tell what’s actually going to happen, even he’s not able to tell exactly what’s about to happen, but it will take a miracle to keep the Circle from being damaged.”

“A miracle?” Raziel asked. “What do you expect me to do?”

“Being healed of the corruption didn’t cause any significant change to Kain’s personality,” Sarah said. “Do you think you can keep him occupied while we try to figure out how to keep him from going on a rampage?”

“I could easily do that,” Raziel said. “Did you actually need my help for this?”

Sarah sighed. “I could temporarily put Kain into a vegetative state.”

“He would take exception to that, and I thought that was against the rules,” Raziel said.

“I’m pretty sure that I’d be forgiven by most of the others. They know that Kain is trying to push me around even after I threatened to stuff Malek’s sweaty jockstrap up his nose,” Sarah said.

Raziel’s eyes widened at that. “And he didn’t strike you down on the spot?”

“He would have needed to be calm enough to teleport, which means being rational enough to remember that he’s not god-emperor anymore,” Sarah said. “This isn’t the first time he’s tried to get in a pissing contest with one of us. A few of the others might even have interceded on my behalf.”

“You can’t let this continue,” Raziel said.

“No, we can’t,” Sarah said. “So are you willing to buy us some time?”

“You were lying when you said that I could say no,” Raziel said.

“Technically, I both succeeded and failed to convince you,” Sarah said. “I overlapped myself in the timestreaming chamber and I could see the split. It’s weird.”

When they arrived in the future, Sarah pointed to the dials. “Pay attention, you might have to get back on your own.” She turned the dials, explaining a little about what the settings meant. Then her image split, walking to opposite sides of the room. A third Sarah stumbled as she rushed through the chamber. “It’s set, just go,” the two images said.

One of the Sarahs grabbed Raziel and teleported with him to a room where Kain and Janos were sitting. “I will talk to you about this when I am ready. Let me finish what I’m doing.” She then teleported away, leaving Raziel standing awkwardly in front of his sire.

Kain stood and approached his lost child. “Raziel? What are you doing here?”

“Apparently you are unable to keep the world out of peril without my help,” Raziel spat. “I don’t appreciate that.”

“What did Sarah tell you?” Kain asked.

“That you are torturing Archimedes,” Raziel said.

“I am being incredibly lenient considering how he is trying to turn the Circle against me,” Kain said. “Without me, the rest will fall to his plotting. I can see now that he has Sarah thoroughly in his grasp.”

“She said that she was reading his mind,” Raziel said. “Has something happened to damage her intelligence?”

“No, but she has always been fond of the boy, despite how when he visited us before his birth, he stated that he hated her. I can’t believe that I didn’t see their collusion earlier,” Kain said. “Zuletat 2341… they were trying to turn you against me as well.”

“Raziel, you know that this has happened before,” Janos said. “Archimedes is too young to be turned, but the danger is growing too great. We must start killing the Time Guardians until one is born as a vempari.”

Raziel balled his talons into fists. “I am so sick of these games. If he is to die, let me be the one to do it.”

“I think that is fair,” Kain said. “But first I must gather the rest of the Circle and try to convince them of the truth. There will be hell to pay if they think it is unjustified.”


	31. Chapter 31

Kain led Janos and Raziel into a room with nine thronelike chairs arranged in a circle. Kain picked up a lighter chair from among several along the wall. “I think that this is the first time that an outsider other than Ozker was invited to speak at a full meeting. Then again, Ozker and Chixiksi are almost one person in two bodies.”

“What did compel you to let that Hylden restore a Pillar?” Janos asked.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was Archimedes who planted it.” Kain set the chair to the right of his. “Not that it truly matters since we are allowing the Hylden to return. If an enemy is going to cause trouble, I prefer that it happen where I can see it.”

“Speaking of enemies, have you destroyed the squid?” Raziel asked.

“It is taking longer than I would like, but it is dying.” Kain took another chair from against the wall.

“A version of Sarah from further ahead said that you had other possessed weapons,” Raziel said.

“That is actually a sound idea. Most of it is in places that only Rahabim can reach.” Kain set the chair to the left of his. “I don’t see how I can ever trust her again.”

Kain broadcast to the Circle, “I call a full meeting to discuss a matter about Archimedes.”

Hardegin broadcast, “Sarah wanted you to have patience. Do you want to fight about it?”

“They are both conspiring against us,” Kain broadcast. “Do not give them time to cause any more damage.”

Raziel heard Sarah whisper, “Are you all right?”

Raziel whispered back, “Don’t pretend to care, betrayer.”

Sarah broadcast to the Circle, “I will go on trial, but for Archimedes it will have to wait. He’s exhausted and it wouldn’t be fair.”

Guardians began teleporting in. Each one favored Raziel with a courtly nod and a surprised expression before sitting down, and he realized that he had met each one of them before. Archimedes was being half-supported by Keturah when he arrived, and she helped him to his chair. The vibrant young boy was listless and Raziel could not believe that it had been less than a day from Archimedes’ point of view since they had last spoken. Raziel took his own seat to Kain’s right and wondered why the chair next to him was empty.

Ozker was also there. He had grabbed another chair and sat to the right of Chixiksi. “As usual, Bavol has no interest in participating.”

Sarah had remained standing. “I insist that the full story be told before you pass judgement. I have made some grave mistakes, but I am not actively trying to cause harm.”

“Does he have proof this time?” Lorica asked. “I think we all heard what you said to him, but an empty threat meant as a deserved insult is no reason to accuse you of treachery.”

“Why have you still not told us why Archimedes was drawing so much magic?” Kain asked.

“I want to provide some context first,” Sarah said. “Half of the delay was trying to figure out how to tell you what’s going on without you getting violent.”

“She has you there, Kain,” Finneas said. “Or have you already forgotten after only a month?”

“He didn’t actually bully me again, he was just going to,” Archimedes said.

“And now we’re dealing with the unintended consequences of trying to avoid it,” Sarah said. “Archimedes asked me to invade his privacy far more deeply than I had any right to because he felt it was necessary. I will not share most of the details, but he has borne a great deal of pain for the good of all of us.”

“So you admit that you are at least complicit in his plots,” Kain said.

“Context, please,” Sarah said. “Archimedes is trying so very hard to not be a problem. But the problem existed before he was able to walk. We have just been too lazy or scared to properly take care of it.”

“What are you saying?” Kain growled.

Sarah pointed at Kain. “You are the problem.”

“Do you think you can remove me?” Kain asked.

“I would prefer it if you could just decide to stop being a problem, but I think I can take you down,” Sarah said.

In one fluid motion, Kain stood and strode towards Sarah, then swung his claw upwards through her torso. She arced backwards, hitting her chair and landing behind it.

Sarah was still for a moment, and then she stood. Her right wing dangled uselessly and blood seeped through the tears in her skin. She slowly walked towards Kain and asked, “Was that really necessary?”

Kain grabbed Sarah by the neck and lifted her to eye-level. “Do you honestly still believe that you can take me?”

Sarah was supporting some of her weight by holding Kain’s wrist with both talons. She pointedly tapped his talon, and he loosened his grip enough for her to speak. “You bet your numb ass I do.”

Kain flung her hard enough to hit the wall. She crumpled at the base of it, but began moving again.

Sarah’s voice was rough. “This is why we let you push us around so much.”

Hardegin stood and put his hand on Kain’s arm. “It’s over, Kain. She’s won.”

Raziel had been tense during the entire fight. This was not his time and he was not part of the Circle, so he decided not to get involved. Now that it was over, he rushed to where Sarah was laying. Lorica was already tending to her vampiric sister. Raziel winced in sympathy as Lorica efficiently set each of Sarah’s broken spars. 

“Why is she healing so slowly?” Raziel asked.

“We have tried to convince her to stop bringing shame upon our clan, my lord, but she is trying to be a vegetarian,” Lorica said.

“Do you have a deathwish?” Raziel asked Sarah. “Even if you were eating properly, you were very lucky to survive challenging Kain. Do you realize that saying his ass is numb is a blasphemy?”

“We ran out of time to get the death plan set up, so no. I was hoping that he would realize what he was doing,” Sarah said. “At least it shows where the real danger is. If his paranoia goes unchecked much longer, someone is going to get killed and it might be him.”


	32. Chapter 32

While Sarah’s wounds were being tended to, the Circle discussed what had happened.

“You should have backed down, Kain,” Finneas said. “What are we going to do with you?”

“Don’t kill him,” Archimedes said. “At least not permanently. There are things that must be done and I think that Kain is the only one who will be able to do them.”

“Don’t think that pretending to protect me is going to prove your innocence so easily,” Kain said.

“Proving my honor will not be easy; you made sure of that,” Archimedes said. “If only one of us can live, then it will have to be you.”

“Enough,” Finneas said. “The boy is clearly exhausted. Is it agreeable for me to take him into custody for two days?”

Kain snarled, “You have been taking his side of late. I wonder if you are colluding with him as well.”

Chixiksi said, “I know something about this that I find troublesome. I will take him into custody and treat him well.”

Janos and Ozker had an exchange that brought up the question of whether people outside of the Circle had a right to object to anything, but it remained unanswered at the time because they would have cancelled each other out.

Sarah was healed enough to move, but Raziel and his two daughters opted to stay out of the conversation as long as they had an excuse to.

In the end, the decision was just based on Kain objecting to Finneas being the one to take Archimedes into custody. Sarah offered to let Chixiksi use her quarters. There was a positive effect from that because her home was full of technological marvels pillaged from Earth, and Archimedes was able to distract himself with a documentary about Alaskan wildlife until he fell asleep.

With the crisis postponed, Raziel said to Sarah, “I am still sure that you and Archimedes tried to manipulate me, but I am not sure that Kain has the details of the conspiracy correct.”

“I made a huge mistake by bringing you here. I think that asking you for advice in the first place was a minor mistake, but something else happened to turn it into a crisis. The best thing you can do right now is to go home. The next best thing is to be as unobtrusive as possible. We were not trying to manipulate you any further than blunt requests. Kain is wrong but believes that he is right. I don’t care what you think or what you do as long as it doesn’t cause you to find a way to make the problem worse.”

Raziel blinked at the torrent of words. He asked Lorica, “Do you trust her?”

“She is a very confusing creature, sire,” Lorica said.

“Stop that. Pretend that I am an equal,” Raziel said.

“She is a very confusing creature,” Lorica said in a more derogatory tone. “If you have spent as much time with her as she claims, you must know that she is not like us. Her sense of honor is odd, but I have never considered her to be an actual threat. Until now, she has not even shown interest in intrigues.”

“I’m right in the middle of the uncanny valley for them,” Sarah said. “It’s cool, I live in my predecessor’s old digs even though it’s full of Hylden now.” 

“I apologize for asking, and for inflicting Sarah on you,” Raziel said. “I am not yet ready to return to when I belong. Do you have a suggestion for what I might find interesting?”

“The rest of the survivors from your clan have only a vague idea of how the Abyss has destroyed your beauty,” Lorica said. “I do have a robe that might fit you, and whether you decide to reveal your identity or not, I will make sure that you are equally welcome.”

“I will have to leave again. Perhaps it is better if I leave my clan be,” Raziel said. “What about the missing Guardian?”

“It will cause no harm to Bavol if you wish to see him,” Lorica said. “He might not even notice that we are there.”

Bavol lived with Ozker and Chixiksi, but not in their main domicile. His room was cluttered with haphazardly-placed machines, while the main feature was the glass bubble that he was resting in. To someone who knew the visuals of Blood Omen 2, Bavol very much resembled the Beast. There were even tubes running into his body. The difference was that arcs of electricity formed between his body and the metal parts of his cage.

“What is the meaning of this?” Raziel asked.

“He was injured a handful of years ago and during his recovery he discovered that he preferred living like this,” Lorica said. “Bavol, this is Lord Raziel.”

Bavol stirred, swiveling his head to look at his visitors. He heaved himself up slightly, nodded, and said, “Avuncle.” Then he lowered himself back to a resting position.

“That was more than I expected,” Lorica said to Raziel.

“Do you not care that your fellow Guardians are being accused of betrayal?” Raziel asked.

Bavol slowly shook his head.

Raziel stormed out of the room and pulled the hood of his robe up. The fabric swished uncomfortably around his legs as he walked. It had been a very long time since he had worn clothes, and even in unlife he had favored more form-fitting garments.

“What is wrong, sire?” Lorica asked as she followed him.

“The situation that you are in scares me,” Raziel said. “One Guardian doesn’t care about anything, another is dishonest…”

“Bavol isn’t interested in politics, but he is adequate to the needs of his Pillar,” Lorica said. “Chixiksi is similar in that it’s usually Ozker that speaks for him about worldly affairs.”

Raziel noticed that the Hylden on the street were staring at them. He pointed to a spot on the cliffs. “Could you carry me up there?”

“I could teleport you,” Lorica said.

When they were at the top of the cliff, Raziel said, “Sarah was able to do it.”

“Vempari have large wings and still need magic to fly. Sarah also has magic, but you must be far lighter than you look. We can’t carry anything heavier than a weapon.” Lorica’s eyes unfocused for a moment. “Oh dear. It seems that Archimedes has hurt Catullus and Sarah wants to explain why.”


	33. Chapter 33

Again the Circle was gathered. This time Ozker and Archimedes were not present, and Raziel elected to perch in the rafters and watch. Lorica had provided the context to him, explaining that Catullus was Keturah and Janos’ son, and practically a brother to Archimedes. Knowing that Archimedes hurt his own family made Raziel distrust the Timestreamer even more.

Sarah sighed. “These two deserve an immediate explanation, but I think the rest of you should wait until Archimedes can be here.”

“Enough stalling,” Kain barked.

“How about a few minutes?” Sarah asked.

“I gave Archimedes a mild sedative and we should at least wait until it wears off,” Chixiksi said.

“I’ll tell the rest as soon as you’re done anyway,” Keturah said.

“Okay, just let me think for a minute. If Archimedes didn’t explain already, it’s likely because he had a good reason. Knowing about the future can influence it.” Sarah closed her eyes for a moment. “His exact words to Janos about Catullus were ‘The worst part is almost over for him, but because of what he’s been through, he can help to prevent a war like the one you were born into. I will explain it to him in greater detail someday.’”

Janos nodded. “That is what the schemer said.”

“Making that choice really hurt him,” Sarah said. “He was telling the truth when he said, ‘If I’m going to keep playing god, I want to feel like I’ve been kicked in the stomach every time someone gets hurt because of my decisions.’”

“But why Catullus?” Keturah asked.

“I didn’t go that deep, but it seems obvious,” Sarah said.

“It is obvious,” Chixiksi said. “Has Catullus been told yet?”

Keturah shook her head.

“Don’t. I suspect that his hardships would have been for nothing if you tell him now,” Chixiksi said.

“Care to enlighten us?” Finneas asked.

“I would not mind you taking over,” Sarah said. “You haven’t been in Timeboy’s head so you can’t let a true prediction slip.”

“You’re probably happy about this, Hylden,” Janos growled.

“What I’m happy about is that Catullus got your stubbornness without the bigotry,” Chixiksi said.

They were interrupted by Ozker and Archimedes arriving. The boy looked well-rested.

Ozker said, “We were gone for two days, but we got separated.”

Sarah clasped Archimedes’ hand for a moment. “He has freely given me his memories of where he has been.”

“And I just looked at what you were talking about,” Archimedes said. “I would be happier if Chixiksi finished the explanation.”

“You’ll say something if I am wrong?” Chixiksi asked in vempari. At Archimedes’ nod, he switched back to English. 

“Where Sarah is from, there are only humans. However, they have divided themselves so that different tribes are visually distinct… enough that they can usually tell what culture a person’s ancestors were from. It is common for a Terran to be part of more than one culture or have parents from different tribes. These people are often natural mediators.   
Catullus had to rely on Keturah, Ozker, Sarah, and somewhat myself to learn about what a vempari who was raised among their own kind would take for granted. Because Catullus was separate from other vempari, he was also exposed to human culture. Most notably, he speaks English better than he does Vempari.  
There are different races here, and the only groups that smoothly coexist are Hylden scientists and Melchiahim. There are even disputes between different types of necromantic vampires. I think that Catullus is meant to try and bridge the gaps that Ozker cannot.”

“I don’t intend for Catullus to shoulder the burden alone,” Archimedes said. “A few others either already exist or will exist without my meddling, but I would like to create some more allies.”

“Did it occur to you to ask to do this?” Lorica asked.

“Technically the result is preceding the action that caused it, and I would ask your blessing at a more opportune moment,” Archimedes said.

“Which we must agree to unless you are to defy our will,” Kain said.

“Actually, it’s not really stuck at this point,” Archimedes said. “If when I explain this to Catullus, he decides not to agree to it, then I can change his past. He only becomes important if he becomes a participant in preventing the war. Chixiksi was right about now being a bad time to tell him.”

Kain growled. “Are you ready to tell us why you were drawing so much power?”

“With context. I’m sorry to have worried everyone. I was upset,” Archimedes said. “I was looking to see what exactly what would happen if I asked for my predecessor to be assassinated. That bastard meddled so much that the world would become unrecognizable. I cannot ask for such a thing in good conscience no matter how much I wish that it were different.”

“That was almost the first thing I did when I started learning how to control the time windows,” Kain said. “What prompted this sudden urge?”

“It’s my fault,” Sarah said. “Archimedes asked me for advice on how to make you less avisva towards him and I decided to ask Raziel for advice. Things went wrong, but they will be okay as long as we can get to the end of the explanation. Archimedes is on our side.”

“Avisva?” Kain asked.

Keturah, Janos, Ozker, Chixiksi, Archimedes, Sarah, and even Finneas knew the word and tried to find an adequate translation. They could not find one, but the discussion was enough to make Kain understand the intention behind the word.

“I can work with simple mistrust, or even being ignored completely,” Archimedes said. “Trying to outmaneuver you would only work for so long and it won’t be enjoyable. I would rather get to a point where I don’t have to worry about how you’re going to react to my advice.”

“So you are a manipulator,” Kain said.

“It comes with the job, but I do not want to compete against you when the world is at stake,” Archimedes said.

“I have noticed that you and Sarah are trying to hide something,” Kain said. “Quite badly, I might add.”

Sarah nodded to Archimedes, and he teleported away. She said, “That’s because he ran afoul of his predecessor and it looks like he managed to manipulate the great manipulator.”


	34. Chapter 34

Kain tried to lunge, but fell limply to the floor instead.

Sarah said, “Yes, I did just use my Pillar-magic against Kain without asking for permission. He is conscious, just unable to move his body. I will release him on consensus and face the consequences.”

“I call for retroactive permission in light of how he was clearly going to attack you again,” Hardegin said. “I have more magic available than I’m used to.”

“I’ve had this trick handy for longer than I’m comfortable admitting to,” Sarah said. “Kain is conscious and he is still capable of serving his Pillar in this state. I’ve just been reduced to my natural gifts and he’s going to have to give me maybe thirty-percent of my magic back for a moment for me to let him up.”

“Keep him like that,” Chixiksi said. “I am getting tired of these interruptions.”

“If it weren’t for Kain, the rest of you would have known almost immediately after it happened,” Sarah said. “Archimedes told Keturah, Ozker, and myself as soon as he got back and demanded that I read his mind so I could see that he is on our side. Archimedes hates the old bastard even more now for having met him.”

Lorica said, “You said that he managed to manipulate the manipulator?”

“Or Moebius saw right through it and was acting like he believed it,” Sarah said. “Archimedes was trying to convince Moebius that he doesn’t need help and I hope it worked.”

“Is this just based off of the first time, or have you checked the second?” Ozker asked.

Sarah sighed. “He gave me his memories but I still have to check them.”

“Innocent or not, Archimedes still must be killed,” Janos said. “He is too young to be turned and Keturah told me that he intends to refuse the curse.”

“Do we really need to do this now?” Sarah asked.

“Examine his memories,” Finneas said. “It would be a waste to debate killing an innocent if he isn’t actually innocent.”

Archimedes awoke slowly. He reached out with his magic and it was severely muted. He opened his eyes and didn’t recognize his surroundings. 

He heard a stranger say, “I can tell that he is one of us. He should not be told when he is so young.”

“He already knows, Mortanious,” Moebius said. “Despite my best efforts, that prophecy will happen. He is my successor and the only human in his Circle.”

“What is he doing here?” Mortanious asked.

“I’m not sure. He spends a lot of time in the company of a creature that blinds me,” Moebius said. “They drugged him and then took him to Vorador’s home.”

Archimedes considered pretending to be asleep for a while longer, but he was thirsty. He could still access his pocket dimension, so he pulled out a flask of water and drank deeply.

“Ah, you’re awake,” Moebius said.

“When am I?” Archimedes noticed Moebius’ confused look. “I guess you have never travelled outside of your lifespan. The Pillar is connected to you, not me.”

“It is 2353, the eighth day of Septima,” Moebius said. “Do you remember speaking with me on the eleventh evening of Quintilis, 2341?”

Archimedes nodded. “Coming here was not my idea and I have no idea how it happened.”

“He was an original vampire without feathers,” Moebius said. “He had taken you to Vorador and we rescued you.”

“You have to give me back to him right away,” Archimedes said.

“Is he like Natascha?” Mortanious asked.

“No, but they think that they have broken him. It seems that I should have put more thought into this,” Moebius said. “If ‘Uncle Ozker’ tells vampires who know me about this, they’ll be suspicious if I give up after only a little wailing. It will also look bad if you escape too easily.”

“He loves me, and knows that I’m likely to be killed if he tells anyone,” Archimedes said. 

“If that’s the case, then you have little to worry about,” Moebius said. “Do you have any idea why he would bring you here in the first place?” 

“The Balance Guardian was howling for my head and it’s fortunate that the others felt that I should be allowed to sleep before it’s discussed further,” Archimedes said. “He was being very impatient so perhaps the others are having trouble keeping him under control.”

“What madness is this?” Mortanious asked. “Discord within the Circle? One Guardian calling for another’s death?”

“You see? We were right to rebel. The bloodcurse makes them savage,” Moebius said. “What caused this, and will you be able to survive it?”

“He thinks that I am trying to turn the rest of the Circle against him, but I’m innocent,” Archimedes said. “Fortunately the only supposed proof he has is that the rest of the Circle is against him. One even pointed out that he was the cause of the dissension and he attacked her. They want to kill him.”

When Mortanious wasn’t looking, Moebius gave Archimedes a congratulatory smile. Archimedes had truly been trying to prevent the situation, but he felt nothing at his predecessor’s approval.

Mortanious asked, “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“I know we’re not supposed to get vacations, but I could use some time without responsibility,” Archimedes said. “As for practical help, I have everything under control.”

Sarah viewed the rest of the memory, but found nothing to be concerned about. Moebius treated Archimedes like an almost-normal person and the conversations were friendly. It was Moebius who coordinated Archimedes’ escape, and the boy gave a very convincing performance of Stockholm syndrome before returning to this time.

“There is one thing that I want to look at, but I don’t think anything has changed,” Sarah said. “So, should Archimedes be here while we discuss killing him for being born into the wrong species?”

“Even the idea is barbaric,” Chixiksi said. “I don’t see why it matters.”

“You should be removed as well,” Janos said.


	35. Chapter 35

Archimedes was called to return. Kain let Sarah have her powers back and she undid the magic that was holding him down.

“Archimedes, I will not force you to open your mind about this, but…” Sarah switched to the whisper.

“You think I have Stockholm syndrome?” Archimedes asked. “The only one who’s been abusive towards me is Kain, and I wish that he would leave me alone.”

Since most of the Circle didn’t know what they were talking about, Sarah had to give a brief lecture on Stockholm syndrome, battered woman syndrome, and learned helplessness.

“I haven’t personally spent much time with him, and my knowledge of humans is about Terran humans, but he does seem like he identifies more as a vempari,” Chixiksi said. “He certainly is smarter than I would expect from a human.”

“His intelligence is uncanny,” Finneas said. “Are Terrans naturally smarter?”

“I’m above average for an American, but that’s because a lot of Americans are almost too dumb to live. Archimedes is just smart, and a lot of that was from education,” Sarah said. “Chixiksi is touching on an important point. We are Archimedes’ family. Growing up alongside Catullus means that they both straddle the divide between human and vempari.”

“When Archimedes visited us before his birth, he tried to convince me that culture mattered more than biology,” Kain said. “We are forced to allow you to live for a little longer, aren’t we?” 

“That loop has a kick if we break it,” Archimedes said. “If you decide that I really need to die, I’ll still maintain it. I can’t tell, but I think it started in a possibility where you were less paranoid.”

“He’s a manipulator,” Ozker said. “Are you sure he’s not using carponus e donadi as some sort of con?”

“I am positive that this isn’t an act. I’m just getting worried that he’s going to end up like a tragic vempari folkhero,” Sarah said. “And as far as being a manipulator, a vempari Timestreamer would still be dishonest if they’re doing their job properly.”

“Humans were not able to govern the Pillars,” Janos said. “You saw what happened.”

“Mehriban has promised not to possess another human Guardian as long as he’s convinced that all of the Hylden will be released,” Chixiksi said.

“The leader of the rebellion was Moebius, at the behest of the squid,” Sarah said. “But something’s up about the Hylden involvement. Right before I showed up, you complained to Raziel that the human Guardians were ignorant of what the Pillars were for. And then you got disturbed when I started asking about the Unspoken because you wanted them to be forgotten.”

Janos nodded. “By humans, yes.”

“I didn’t think to ask Morty for a history lesson when I talked to him, but he seemed to know about them,” Sarah said. “Then again, that’s after Mehriban forced him to kill Ariel.”

“This is a pointless line of reasoning,” Finneas said. “We are removing the purpose behind the Pillars. What other reason do we have for not allowing him to remain human?”

“Misplaced loyalty,” Janos said. “He will continue to side with humans unless he is cursed.”

“That’s not an automatic thing,” Sarah said. “If the lack of racism is a problem, I should be removed.”

“Sarah has argued in favor of the humans.” Kain looked up to where Raziel was still perched in the rafters. “I wonder if her dual parentage caused something to go wrong.”

“It’s because she was Terran. Specifically it’s because of stories like Star Trek,” Chixiksi said. “I would say that she proves that culture can overcome biology.”

“I’m afraid that the curse would damage my conscience,” Archimedes said.

Janos’ expression softened. “I have seen it happen.”

“When has it not happened?” Sarah asked.

“You, and one other that committed suicide shortly after being turned,” Janos said.

Sarah shook her head. “There is no little voice inside me that screams whenever I do something wrong. There never was. I am in a cage constructed out of imposed morality.”

Janos frowned. “No conscience?”

“I could probably out-evil Vorador if I set my mind to it,” Sarah said. “It takes some effort to maintain, but the fake conscience works really well.”

“I think that my sense of conscience improved after being cursed, but it’s hard to get much worse than being a Sarafan,” Hardegin said.

“I was able to stop hunting before I stopped feeling bad about killing people, but it was a near thing,” Ozker said.

“So do we really want to risk turning someone who isn’t actually evil into a sadist?” Sarah asked. “I think he’s working towards our best interests and will continue to do so for as long as we let him.”

Finneas said, “No more accusations. Not without having solid proof that he is a danger.”

Kain was still for a moment. “Very well Archimedes, it seems that you have won this round.”

“Stop trying to play games. I take this seriously and you keep distracting me,” Archimedes said.

The Guardians left to get back to their normal duties, (Kain murmuring to Raziel that he'd like to talk before he left,) leaving Archimedes and Sarah behind with Raziel.

“You do realize how big of a mistake this was,” Archimedes told Sarah.

“The biggest any of us has ever made,” Sarah said. “I am sorry about this, Raziel.”

“I wish that I hadn’t seen this happen,” Raziel said. “You did say that I told you to tell me not to come to this time period.”

“When were you planning to tell me that?” Sarah asked.

“To tell you the truth, I forgot about it until you came to get me for this,” Raziel said.

“If anyone can break a looped message, it is you two,” Archimedes said. “If you tell her when you get back, you should forget that this happened. Your presence didn’t have an effect on this.”

“There was a split, I’m assuming that he actually followed my advice in that one?” Sarah asked.

“Something like that,” Archimedes said.

“She didn’t mention which Timestreamer sent her back with the Reaver,” Raziel said.

“It’s possible that I decided not to create a loop. Did she mention when she left?” Archimedes asked.

“She said that you spent a century making sure there was only one piece of the squid left,” Raziel said.

“Plenty of time for something to happen to me,” Archimedes said. “Kain actually will leave me alone for at least a few years, but I don’t intend to spend more than a century or so in this job.”


	36. Chapter 36

Raziel found Kain at the Pillars. The Balance Guardian was standing in quiet contemplation just past the center of the dais. Raziel walked closer but stopped just short of the center. He waited for a few moments before Kain turned and regarded him.

Raziel’s voice was steely. “I’m still not sure about what exactly is going on, but it’s clear that you are not in control.”

There was an imperceptible change in Kain’s posture, but suddenly he seemed humble instead of haughty. “I am unused to having equals. I may be the fulcrum of the Circle of Nine, but I am not their leader.”

“Yet you still tried to use fear and intimidation to keep them in line,” Raziel said. “Not only have you lost those, you probably damaged your ability to gain their respect with your behavior.”

“Sarah’s plan was clear in hindsight,” Kain said. “She knew that the others take issue with me hurting a weaker member of the Circle and she provoked me.”

“Assuming that she was being honest with me, her plan was that you would realize what you were doing,” Raziel said. “She said that your personality hasn’t changed despite being cleansed of the madness, but you were able to keep control of yourself back then.”

“I did have Sarah look to see if there was anything left of Nupraptor’s taint, and she said that it left deep scars,” Kain said. “She was afraid to do anything about it, but sometimes I feel like the madness is still there.”

“What if Sarah and Archimedes are being as genuine as possible?” Raziel asked.

“I cannot take that risk,” Kain said. “Who knows what those two are capable of together?”

Raziel considered. “And what if her being afraid to heal the scars was some sort of deception to give you a new madness that would only affect you?”

Kain’s eyes widened. “I thought that she was joking, but she had considered it.” He sent a mental command, and Sarah and Archimedes walked into the room. “No power games. Tell me what you two are up to.”

Sarah turned towards Raziel. “What did you do?” She then addressed Kain. “I swear on the good of the world that I am doing my best to avoid it being in danger again, and so is Archimedes.”

“What about the supposed inability to cure my feelings of still being corrupted?” Kain asked. “You once threatened to find something unpleasant to do to me.”

“Get out of here, Archimedes.” After he left, Sarah fell to a sitting position on the floor and held up her token. “You want to kill me? Fine. You have a unique chance for the true Tenth Guardian to take part in internal affairs. I imagine he’ll be a biddable witness, but I suggest you take the time to come up with a credible story beforehand. Remember the storm? I really am afraid that I don’t know what I’m doing, and that doing anything will make your mental problems worse.”

Kain scowled. “What about your collusion with Archimedes? You admitted that he was a manipulator.”

“Like you don’t know exactly what it’s like.” Sarah rested her token on one knee. “He was trying to protect you from what happened today. He didn’t want to be the catalyst, but it was my decision to force the issue despite him begging me not to. Everything would have been fine if you hadn’t kept pushing us.”

Raziel crouched in front of Sarah. “Are you telling the truth right now?”

Sarah nodded. “From my perspective, I don’t think I’ve told you a deliberate falsehood during this whole business. I hate the thought of lying to you even when it’s not to hurt you.”

“What about your feelings for Archimedes?” Raziel asked.

“It’s partly because I didn’t want the job, but I could have refused. Archimedes couldn’t. It’s also hard to spend years teaching a kid right from wrong and not get a little attached,” Sarah said. “He started hating me when he assumed his Guardianship, and I knew it would happen, but that’s just because I’m unpredictable. He’ll probably get distant again now that he doesn’t need any more help.”

Raziel frowned. “That thing about duty… I don’t like it.”

“After we got back from that conversation… well I’m not sure what exactly Archimedes has planned for me, but he realized how creepy it is to not get angry at certain things.” Sarah looked up at Kain. “Fortunately, carponus e donadi means that he’s not letting a grudge influence his decisions. Technically you never laid a hand on Archimedes despite what he remembers, but making him walk on eggshells is not something you want to keep doing.”

“This does not inspire trust,” Kain growled.

“All he needs is for you to stop harassing him,” Sarah said. “Be more passive about watching for what you believe must be an inevitable betrayal. I can’t promise it won’t happen, but Archimedes cares more for the good of the world than himself.”

Raziel stood up and walked away from Sarah. “Has she figured out how to weave lies into the truth bludgeon?”

“It’s been a while since she’s used it,” Kain said.

“It gets your attention, but by definition it is an indelicate instrument,” Sarah said. “Arguing from my conclusion without giving the entire thought process works better on the others.”

“What can you tell me about the Timestreamer’s plans?” Kain asked.

“Kill the squid, heal the world, keep another interracial war from breaking out,” Sarah said. “I just realized that you are now justified in being absolutely terrified, but you need to stop the counter-productive lashing out.”

Kain snarled and tensed to attack, but Raziel grabbed his arm to restrain him. Raziel told Sarah, “You need to be a bit more sympathetic.”

Kain growled, but calmed. He asked Sarah, “What if you were in our position? Having to choose between the world and yourself?”

“I’ve had time to think about it, and if it comes down to me dying before the squid, I hope it chokes on me,” Sarah said. “Being calm about it also might buy me an explanation.”

Raziel crouched in front of Sarah. “My willingness to be a martyr is because my existence is not worth continuing. I don’t want you to be a proper martyr.”

Sarah shook her head. “I don’t think I can put up with living on a dying world. That’s part of the reason I didn’t go home when I had the chance. Fifteen years had passed and their problems got worse. I don’t have the means to help them.” She sighed. “I admit that I was being stupid and desperate today. It would have been a pointless death if I lost.”

“What gave you the idea that you would win?” Kain asked.

“I think even you would have trouble killing me permanently with just your bare claws,” Sarah said. “Other than that, I had blind faith that your ability to keep yourself in check would win against the paranoia. It’s like the two wolves parable. One is good, the other evil, and the one that will win is the one you feed. I’m not sure how to help you with that.”

Raziel took Sarah’s talon and helped her to her feet. “Kain, I’ve already been tolerating my continued existence for far longer than I wanted to, all to give you your best shot at saving the world. Do not let it be for nothing.”


End file.
